Wake Up: Drowsy Driving Numbers on the Rise

Fatigue negatively impacts many aspects of life across the US, ranging from work performance to relationships. Whether you’re tired from caring for a newborn, staying late at work, late nights out with friends, or simply because you chose to sacrifice sleep for something else, the negative impacts of sleep deprivation remain the same when it comes to your safety—especially when it comes to your ability to drive. The worst part is these accidents are becoming more common each year.

Accidents and Fatalities

While determining a precise number for the amount of drowsy-driving related accidents each year is a challenge, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was able to find information based on hospital and police reports. They estimate that in 2017, 91,000 police-reported accidents involved drivers lacking sleep—leading to an estimated 50,000 injured bodies and approximately 800 fatalities. While these numbers seem shockingly high, the worst part is the NHTSA believes,

“There is broad agreement across the traffic safety, sleep science, and public health communities that this is an underestimate of the impact of drowsy driving.”

Avoiding

Driving tired is very similar to driving under the influence or driving distracted, in the sense that all of these forms of impairment are 100% preventable. If you ensure you receive enough sleep each night, you will never have to worry about driving drowsy. However, many people can’t abstain from driving drowsy regardless of the negative impacts. Additional ways that may help you avoid this danger include:

• Getting to bed early if you have a commute in the morning, or risk putting yourself, your passengers, and other drivers in danger.

• Adjusting to the amount of sleep you require. Parents, be sure to inform your teens to be wary of the amount of sleep they are receiving, as teens require additional sleep to function.

• Check your prescription medication to ensure it doesn’t induce drowsiness. If it does, be sure to adjust the time you take it around your daily commute.

Drowsy Driving Is COMPLETELY Preventable

At the end of the day, the only true method of prevention is to just refrain from driving when you’re drowsy. At GKBM, our team of trusted Memphis car accident attorneys has been helping those injured due to the selfish acts of drowsy drivers recover the compensation they deserve for over 40 years.

We firmly believe that driving drowsy is an act of negligence, and needs to be compensated accordingly. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a negligent drowsy driver, we can help you seek the compensation that is rightfully yours.

Call us today (901) 526-2126 to schedule your free consultation. It’s easy with Montesi!