Georgia Injury Law Blog
Study Indicates One in Six Fatal Accidents Linked to Drowsy Driving
It’s time to wake up to the serious dangers posed by motorists who drive when they’re in a sleepy or tired state.A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that one in every six fatal auto accidents in the US is caused by a drowsy motorist.In fact, these drivers likely account for approximately 17% of all auto accidents in the country.
No Atlanta car accident attorney would deny that those are sobering statistics.You don’t want to share the road with a motorist who is in serious danger of simply dozing off at the wheel.Yet, more than 41% of the respondents in the AAA study admitted that they had driven while they were very sleepy, at least once in their lifetime.Even worse, 27% of the respondents in the study admitted that over the previous month, they had driven while they were so sleepy they could barely see straight.
Except for New Jersey, no state bans drowsy driving.That is an indicator of our lackadaisical approach to this very serious threat.Part of the problem is that many motorists deny that such a problem even exists.Many of us have driven while we were sleepy, feeling confident about our safety. Studies confirm that driving in a sleepy state impairs driving on the same levels as driving in an intoxicated state.
We need a combination of legislation and education to deal with drowsy drivers.But legislating how sleepy or alert a motorist can be while driving, could prove a challenge, Atlanta car accident lawyer would encourage more education and awareness campaigns to make motorists understand the serious risks of driving while sleepy.