As more drivers in Connecticut are getting back on the road, it is important to keep safety in mind. Though drunk driving is a culprit for many accidents, distracted drivers play a bigger role in causing crashes than you may realize.
Driving drowsy can have the same effect as driving drunk
According to the National Sleep Foundation, a driver who has not slept in 20 hours will be just as impaired as a driver who has a blood-alcohol concentration of .08%, the legal limit. Drivers have slower reaction times when they are sleep deprived, and they may zone out without even realizing it. If a driver spaces out for even four or five seconds (which could happen when one experiences “micro-sleep”), a car going freeway speeds could travel the full length of a football field.
The risk of falling asleep at the wheel
Not only are drivers more easily distracted when fatigued, but they’re also more likely to fall asleep. In fact, 20% of people surveyed by the National Sleep Foundation said that they had fallen asleep while driving in the past year. This number doubled when individuals were asked if they had fallen asleep at any point during their lives while driving.
Drowsy driving crashes could be very prevalent
Given that half of all people surveyed by the National Sleep Foundation said they regularly drive while tired, you would expect there to be a substantial number of car accidents resulting from drowsy driving. However, most people will not admit that they were too tired to drive, making it difficult to assess the actual number of crashes caused by drowsy driving. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety concluded that the number of drowsy driving automobile accident fatalities was over three times higher than what was reported by the police.
If you’ve been in a car accident, there’s a good chance the other driver was distracted in some way. Consider speaking with a personal injury attorney if you were not at fault. The lawyer could investigate the causes of the crash.