Everyone is well aware that sleep deprivation can contribute to the risk of vehicle accidents. Although many people know this, many who are at risk do not get enough sleep or are not clear about how to correct this issue.

If someone is in a perpetual sleepy state and never realizes it, they could put everyone around them at risk. This could mean that they are going through their life day after day, getting behind the wheel too tired and at a risk of an accident.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston recently investigated this phenomenon and discovered that sleep loss associated with two different problems put people at a higher risk of an accident. Sleep loss was strongly connected to motor vehicle crashes in the general population regardless of whether or not excessive sleepiness was reported. The two most common problems that lead to a poor night’s sleep include obstructive sleep apnea in which constant stopping and starting of the breathing can undermine the length and quality of sleep.

The second issue is insufficient sleep duration since the vast majority of adults throughout the United States do not get the appropriate amount of sleep in order to avoid car accidents. This can lead to the symptoms of being sleep deprived, too.  If you have already been involved in an accident with someone you suspect was overtired or sleep deprived and was not able to safely avoid an accident, you need to contact an experienced lawyer.