Asleep at the wheel: the dangers of fatigued driving
"You drive lousy when you drive drowsy." Fatigued and drowsy driving is a serious problem in Texas, which sustains some of the highest drowsy driving deaths in the nation. A study conducted by sleepjunkie.org indicates that more than 1 in 5 of national driver fatigue-related fatalities in 2016 occurred in Texas. At Wyatt Law Firm, our personal injury and auto accident lawyers understand how serious this problem is.
Although most people understand the dangerous of driving while fatigued, many do it anyway. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention release estimates that nearly 1 in 25 adult drivers report falling asleep at the wheel within the past 30 days. Another study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that over 40% of respondents have one or more days a week where they get less than six hours of sleep.
The cause of fatigued and drowsy driving? Lack of sleep. Long hours at work, odd shift times, staying up late, and sleep disorders contribute to sleep deprivation and the corresponding decline in wakefulness. Chronic lack of sleep can actually manifest in the form of "sleep debt" and perpetual exhaustion. Insufficient sleep results in dramatically decreased performance in complex tasks such as driving.
There is only one real cure for fatigue and drowsiness: sleep. Drinking caffeinated beverages and using various tactics to stay awake can only fend off a lapse of consciousness for a little while, and involuntary bouts of sleep come unexpectedly to tired drivers.
Fatigued driving comes with enormous risks. It impairs motor control and response time in ways very similar to intoxication. While drunk driving is clearly outlawed for the risks it poses, fatigued driving can be just as deadly.
Those driving fatigued are a danger to themselves and to others on the road. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident due to a fatigued driver, call Wyatt Law Firm at 210-340-5550 for a free consultation. Our personal injury and auto accident lawyers have years of experience handling auto accident cases. We fight for maximum compensation, and we will fight for you.