Louisiana researchers are noticing a new epidemic when it comes to vehicle accidents. This is the act of being tired behind the wheel, commonly referred to as fatigued driving or drowsy driving. All of these terms refer to drivers who are lacking sleep and are unable to safely drive their vehicles down the roadway.
What are the statistics showing?
It’s estimated that 100,000 motor vehicle accidents happen every single year due to drowsy driving. Out of these 100,000 accidents, 1,550 fatalities happen and 71,000 injuries happen. That’s a lot of people being killed and injured simply due to the fact that people are choosing to get behind the wheel when they’re too tired to safely drive their vehicle.
A recent study was performed to survey the American adult population to determine how many of them have got behind the wheel while drowsy and fallen asleep. The study revealed that 20% of American drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel of their vehicle within the past year. A whopping 40% of drivers admitted that they have fallen asleep behind the wheel at least once in their lifetime.
Are you driving fatigued?
Sometimes life can get so busy that we don’t quite think about whether or not we’re actually capable of getting behind the wheel and driving safely. If you’re feeling tired, you should check in with your behavior to determine whether or not you’re too fatigued to drive safely. Some of the most common symptoms of fatigued driving include frequently yawning, heavy eyes, missing road signs, drifting into the other lane and an inability to remember the last few miles that were driven.
Drowsy driving is becoming a new epidemic that is creating more car accidents every year. It’s essential to inform the public of the various dangers of fatigued driving and how to assess whether or not they’re capable of driving safely to help reduce the accident rate. If you’ve been involved in an accident with a driver who was fatigued, it’s important to seek the assistance of an attorney to help prove your case.
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