Being unable to get enough sleep is a common modern issue. Many busy professionals and parents have to sacrifice their rest to fulfill all of their routine responsibilities.
Fatigue can impact the health and happiness of the exhausted person. It can also contribute to the risk of a collision occurring. While fatigued driving doesn’t receive the same attention as drunk and distracted driving, it is a serious safety issue.
How frequently does fatigue overwhelm drivers and lead to preventable crashes?
Fatigue is a common traffic safety issue
Unlike drunk driving, where there are chemical tests that can confirm a driver’s intoxication, there is no test that can prove a driver was too tired to be safe in traffic. Instead, data about fatigued driving relies on self-reported traffic data.
The number of motorists who admit to driving while exhausted is cause for concern. According to federal surveys, as many as one in 25 motorists may have fallen asleep at the wheel within the last month. Some drivers admit to falling asleep while driving more than once in the last 30 days.
For every driver who dozes off, there are likely dozens of others who experience diminished capacity due to fatigue but do not actually fall asleep at the wheel. People who are too tired to drive safely may struggle to focus. They may not make the right decision in an emergency scenario. They may also take longer to react to sudden changes in traffic conditions because of their fatigue.
People involved in collisions caused by a fatigued driver may have grounds to hold the drowsy driver for the collision. Requesting compensation by filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit could help people recover from the economic losses triggered by unsafe driving habits.