Georgia Injury Law Blog
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car accidents caused directly by drivers who were drowsy at the wheel caused 693 wrongful deaths in 2022.
Drowsiness due to lack of sleep could be because of overwork, a new baby, stress, or a hectic social life. Whatever the reason, the consequence is fewer hours of sleep. Sleep advocacy groups, including the National Sleep Foundation, recommend 8 hours of sleep for the average American adult. Unfortunately, far too many drivers are getting less sleep than the recommended amount, which means that many of them are driving at less than optimum levels of wakefulness and alertness in the morning.
Even getting one hour less sleep a night can affect a person’s ability to drive safely. Drowsiness can mean irritability which, in turn, can affect your judgment and reasoning behind the wheel. It can also mean an inability to pay attention to visual cues on the road, and failure to respond appropriately to stop signs. It can mean getting lost while driving the wrong way, or driving at high speeds.