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The NHTSA drowsy driving study was conducted on 100 students, where they were asked about their experience while driving drowsily. At least 85 percent of the respondents admitted that they had nodded off on at least one occasion while at the wheel.
Shockingly, at least one in three respondents reported that they had experienced swerving of the car and near car accident situations while driving in a drowsy state.
Our car accident lawyers believe these car accident statistics — although alarming — are actually not that surprising. Drowsy driving is one of the major causes of car accidents, and yet in California like in so many other states, there hasn’t been any kind of attention paid similar to drunk driving, which is equally hazardous.
According to the auto accident study, the risks of driving in a drowsy state are highest in adults of the age group 15-24. These young people are responsible for 50 percent of all drowsy driving-related auto accidents that occur every year. The lifestyle that these people live is partly to blame. These are young men and women who have exceedingly busy work and social lives. Very often, life for these people just becomes an endless whirl of work, socializing, and meeting friends.
Besides young adults, who work and party hard, there are other people who may be more prone to lack of sleep. People who work different shifts throughout the week for instance, may miss out on essential hours of sleep. Those who suffer from sleep apnea – a condition in which the airways become constricted during sleep, leading to the person waking up several times a night – can also suffer from lack of sufficient sleep.
People who are overworked and constantly stressed may also have difficulty sleeping. Experts recommend that people who cannot get a full 8 hours of sleep at night grab power naps after lunch to feel refreshed.
Car accidents caused by drowsy driving are completely preventable, which makes it even more imperative that we begin to focus more on this silent killer. Avoid driving at times when your body’s natural rhythm begins to slow down, causing eyelids to droop. The hours between 1 and 4 in the morning and 1 and 4 in the afternoon are especially dangerous because the body’s natural ability to rejuvenate itself is at its lowest.
Our car accident attorneys believe that it is one of the most easily preventable on the road killer there is. As long as we all refrain from driving drowsily, thousands and possibly even tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year from wrongful death car accidents.
Please feel free to call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or you can click here for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney. We have a large bilingual staff that can assist you in either English or Spanish. No fee if no recovery.
SENIOR PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY & FIRM FOUNDER
Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who graduated from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in 1987. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes how insurance companies work and how they decide how much to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael’s inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents. Learn more about Michael Pines