Drowsy Driving Causing Up to Eight Times as Many Crashes
Have you ever been tired behind the wheel? Most people have had this experience at least once and are not sure whether it’s truly impacting their ability to drive. But when you ignore that sensation that you’re struggling to focus, you could wind up in an accident. Most people don’t find this out until it’s too late.
Previous research indicated that drowsy or sleepy driving was not behind too many vehicle accidents although the potentially catastrophic impacts of those accidents had far reaching ripple effects for those involved in such an incident. Personal injury lawyers have noted the increase in the number of drowsy driving accident cases coming forward, but new research shows that there may be significant reasons to target drowsy driving and its potential dangers.
A AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study found that motorists are falling asleep behind the wheel at significant rates. They looked at more than 700 crashes and used a scientific measurement to determine in video footage whether a driver was sleepy in the moments leading up to the crash. They found that between 9.5 and nearly 11% of accidents, drowsiness was a critical factor. Federal researchers had previously believed that the impact of drowsy driving was much smaller around 1% because that was what was reported to police officers at the scene of the accident. However, the previous National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research evaluated in 2017 only included those self-reported data points which are notoriously low because drivers are unlikely to share that they were tired behind the wheel when involved in a major accident.
If you or someone you know has already been hurt in a serious drowsy driving accident, you deserve to have your questions answered and your case handled by an experienced professional who cares about you and your future. Scheduling a consultation with a personal injury attorney who cares about you and your loved ones could be the most important thing you do in the wake of a critical accident.
