Georgia Injury Law Blog
Motorists driving while fatigued or sleepy cause as many as 100,000 car accidents every year. This November, the National Sleep Foundation is marking Drowsy Driving Prevention Week to raise awareness about the dangers of driving while sleepy.
The National Sleep Foundation commemorates the first week of November every year as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week to coincide with the end of daylight savings time. The National Sleep Foundation estimates that as many as 100,000 car accidents every year are caused by drivers who are too sleepy or fatigued to drive. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than half of all American motorists admit to regularly or consistently driving while sleepy. About 20% of American drivers admit to having operated a motor vehicle while sleepy at least once in the past year. Clearly, there are far too many people who feel comfortable driving a car when they are simply too tired or sleepy to do so.
Some categories of motorists may be at a greater risk of drowsy driving than others. For example, motorists between the age of 16 and 25 are at a higher risk of driving while sleepy. Male motorists may also be much more likely to find nothing wrong while driving in a sleepy condition compared to female drivers. Shift workers and commercial drivers like long haul truck drivers may also be at higher risk of not getting enough sleep resulting in drowsy driving. Apart from these business travelers as well as persons suffering from medical conditions like sleep apnea are also at a higher risk. Apnea is a sleep condition that causes a person to suffer from respiratory interruptions during sleep at night which causes the person to be fatigued and sleepy in the daytime. Sometimes, drowsy driving is the result of taking medications like anti -depressants and antihistamines that may have sleepiness as a side effect.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 1,500 deaths are caused in car accidents resulting from drowsy driving every year. These auto accidents also result in more than 70,000 personal injuries annually and cause 12.5 billion dollars in damages. Commercial drivers must make sure that they adhere to all hours of service rules while driving in order to ensure that they get sufficient rest and avoid fatigued driving. The same goes for shift workers. If you suffer from sleep apnea or any other condition that affects your ability to sleep at night, get treatment for the condition and have your symptoms checked out by a sleep health professional.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you have suffered injuries in an auto accident, talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. You may qualify for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your claim. Initial consultations are free.