Driving while exhausted can be as dangerous as driving at too high a speed or texting while driving. When you are tired, you are less able to react to your surroundings, and you might not even see dangers on the road until it’s too late. Another major concern when driving too tired is that the driver falls asleep behind the wheel. It sounds like one of those things that probably only happens on occasion and never to anyone you know, but the numbers actually prove the opposite.
One out of every 25 adult drivers report that they have fallen asleep in the act of driving within the past 30 days. Consider how many drivers you pass on the road each day — it could be hundreds, which means at any given time, you could be driving near someone who is sleepy enough to drift off behind the wheel.
Drowsy driving is also a factor in tens of thousands of accidents every year. In 2013 alone, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 72,000 accidents were related to people driving when sleepy. Those incidents led to around 800 deaths and 44,000 injuries, so drowsy driving is definitely a safety concern for all those on the roadway.
If you are involved in an accident that might have been caused by a person who was falling asleep behind the wheel, you do have rights and the ability to seek compensation for your injuries and losses. Whether you are facing medical bills or have lost time and wages due to injuries, working with a personal injury lawyer can help you understand how to seek fair compensation via a claim, settlement or lawsuit.
Contact an Easton commercial vehicle accident lawyer to learn more.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Drowsy Driving: Asleep at the Wheel,” accessed April 07, 2017
