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Sleepy drivers can cause costly and deathly car crashes

Taking on the task of driving is not only difficult to do while drowsy, but extremely dangerous too.

The problem is so many working adults have careers, on and off the road, that have strenuous hours, including early and overnight shifts. Having a poor work/life balance and other one-off instances lead to far too many drowsy drivers on the road. In fact, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that nearly 328,000 crashes involving drowsy drivers take place each year.

Drowsy or impaired

Unfortunately, being up doesn’t always equate to being fully awake. Sleep deprivation and fatigue cause many drivers to not fully be present while driving. From the outside looking in, a drowsy driver might appear to be a driver who is under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Going 20 or more hours without sleep can cause a driver to make similar movements on the road as someone with a blood alcohol content level of 0.08% — the legal limit. A drowsy driver might dose off behind the wheel, and, in turn, swerve between lanes, not follow the speed limit and randomly stop when they wake up and realize they fell asleep.

Death or injury

When a driver doesn’t wake up or wakes up from the impact of a crash they caused, injury and death are often the result. Over 100,000 of the estimated 328,000 drowsy driving accidents that happen each year lead to injuries. And about 6,400 of these accidents wind up being fatal.

One of the best things you can do when you spot a driver who is making risky maneuvers on the road, is to give them their space. If you can manage to get a get a description of the driver, their car or license plate number, then you can pull over somewhere safe to call the police to address the situation.

However, if you find yourself on the side of the road after a traumatic crash with a driver who seems to have fallen asleep, then a personal injury attorney can help you on your road to recovery.

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