Drivers Urged to Stay Alert on Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

As many as 100,000 automobile accidents could be avoided each year if fatigued drivers stayed off the roads. Drowsy Driving Prevention Week aims to educate drivers about this dangerous problem and how to prevent it.

The National Sleep Foundation is sponsoring Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, which runs from Nov. 1 through 8, 2015. This public awareness campaign specifically targets younger drivers, though adult drivers also report driving drowsy.

Fatigued driving has also become a hot topic for truck drivers, with national regulations restricting hours-of-service to prevent drowsy truck drivers from being behind the wheel.

Drowsiness Impairs Drivers

Dangers of driving while drowsy:

• Lowers driver attentiveness
• Delays reaction times
• Alters decision-making abilities

Drowsy driving can be effectively compared to drunk driving, in terms of impairment. Drivers who have been awake for 18 or more hours experience impairment equal to a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, which is the legal limit. Car crash risks are equal between drowsy and drunk drivers.

Symptoms of Fatigued Driving

How do you know if you are too tired to drive? Watch for these symptoms:

• Heavy eyelids
• Daydreams
• Missing turns or signs
• Cannot remember the last few miles traveled
• Drifting between lanes
• Restlessness
• Hitting rumble strips on the roadside
• Yawning
• Highway hypnosis

Who Is At Risk?

Certain groups of drivers are more likely to get behind the wheel while fatigued. These groups include:

• Commercial truck drivers
• Drivers who work overnight or long shifts
• Drivers with sleep disorders which haven’t been treated
• Drivers taking medications that have sedating effects
• Drivers who don’t get enough sleep

Driving long stretches without taking enough breaks can cause drivers to become fatigued. Traveling through the night or during your normal sleeping hours can also put you at risk, as well as driving solo on rural roads or those that are long, dark, and mundane. Consuming minor amounts of alcohol before getting behind the wheel can also increase your risk.

Have you been injured in an accident where drowsy driving was to blame? Contact a personal injury lawyer from the law offices of Anderson, Cummings & Drawhorn, LLP today at (817) 920-9000 to schedule a free consultation. We are experienced car accident attorneys in Fort Worth and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

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