Sometimes we simply do not get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep at night. Nevertheless, the following morning we must make our daily commute or drop the kids off at school as tired as we are. However, drowsy driving is a significant danger on U.S. roads that often leads to motor vehicle accidents.
The statistics on drowsy driving in the U.S.
The statistics on drowsy driving in the U.S. are startling. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2017 approximately 91,000 police-reported motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. involved a drowsy driver. These collisions led to approximately 800 fatalities and 50,000 people injured. However, it is reported that these numbers are an underestimate of the true impact of drowsy driving accidents.
Three factors associated with drowsy driving accidents
There are three factors the NHTSA reports were commonly associated with drowsy driving accidents. The first factor is driving when we have a dip in our circadian rhythm — periods of time when we are naturally drowsy — generally between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. and again in the late afternoon. The second factor is speeding. Speeding causes a drowsy motorist to run off the road without braking, which can lead to a drowsy driving crash. The third factor is travelling on rural roads or highways where drowsy driving accidents often occur.
Learn more about motor vehicle accidents in Alabama
Drowsy driving can easily lead to a motor vehicle accident that injures or kills another individual. When this happens, the victim of the drowsy driving accident may want to learn more about their legal rights and options. Our firm’s webpage on auto accident liability may be of interest to those who want to learn more about this topic.
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