There are numerous types of negligence that can increase the likelihood of a major car wreck. Drivers generally understand that actually getting behind the wheel after drinking is not just illegal but unsafe.
Fewer motorists understand the correlation between fatigue and impaired driving. Safety experts actually compare the consequences of extreme drowsiness to the impact of consuming large quantities of alcohol. To many safety experts, drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving, possibly even more so.
After all, while the law does not criminalize drowsy driving in a personal vehicle, it can be a very dangerous habit for people to adopt.
How is drowsy driving like drunk driving?
The effects of fatigue influence human cognitive function in a manner similar to alcohol. The longer the people have gone without sleep, the more pronounced their impairment becomes. Exhausted drivers struggle to remain focused. They can easily become distracted. They may have a difficult time making safety-conscious decisions in traffic, which may ultimately result in a preventable collision. They have longer reaction times, and they are also prone to microsleeps. Even if they avoid outright falling asleep at the wheel and going off the road, they may doze off for a few seconds. That can be enough to cause a crash.
What does the research show?
Experts looking at the impact of drowsy driving assert that going 17 hours without sleep is comparable to having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%. After 20 hours without sleep, a motorist’s impairment is roughly equivalent to having a BAC of 0.08%, which is legally drunk. After 24 hours without sleep, drowsiness-related impairment is severe enough that experts compare it to having a BAC of 0.10%, which is well over the legal limit.
Medical professionals, long-distance truck drivers, shift workers and service sector employees are among those most at risk of drowsy driving after long shifts on the job. College students who work in addition to attending class may also be at increased risk of causing drowsy driving wrecks.
What rights do motorists have?
Those involved in crashes caused by fatigued or sleepy drivers don’t have the straightforward case available to those hurt by drunk drivers. There is no chemical test that can prove fatigue. However, if drivers admit to being drowsy or if their work records show that they went too long without sleep, the people affected by the crash may have a straightforward claim for negligence. There are also traffic laws limiting how long commercial drivers can be on the road.
Consulting with a drowsy driving accident lawyer can help those hurt by one of these crashes pursue justice. When fatigued drivers cause preventable wrecks, they may be liable for the harm that their choices cause others.