Don’t Drowsy Drive: Prevent South Carolina and North Carolina Car Accidents by Staying Awake Behind the Steering Wheel
November 2 – 8 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, a campaign designed by the National Sleep Foundation to make people more aware of the dangers of driver fatigue and drowsy driving. According to the NSF, sleepiness was a factor in almost two million driver deaths last year.
Yet unlike drunk driving or texting while driving, many people still don’t realize how dangerous it is to drive while sleepy or exhausted. As a matter of fact, driving while fatigued can impair a driver’s reaction time, senses, and alertness the way they would be affected if a motorist was driving drunk or under the influence or drugs.
Sleepiness or fatigue can also make it hard for a driver to focus, keep their eyes open, and pay attention to the road and other vehicles. Drowsy driving can cause a driver to feel more aggressive, impatient, or restless and he or she may not even notice that the vehicle has drifted into the next lane or into oncoming traffic. An exhausted driver is also more likely to miss exits, not notice traffic signs, or tailgate.
People most at risk of drowsy driving are drivers who haven’t gotten enough sleep, suffer from sleep apnea, drive several hours without taking a break, work long jobs, drive through the night, or drink alcohol before driving.
While drowsiness by itself is not a crime, it can become grounds for criminal charges, traffic violations, and North Carolina injury case or a wrongful death claims if sleepiness, exhaustion, or falling asleep causes the driver to cause a Charlotte, North Carolina car crash, a Hickory pedestrian accident, a Monroe motorcycle accident, or a Raleigh truck crash.
Signs You May Be Drowsy Driving:
• Your head keeps dropping.
• It’s hard to keep your eyes open.
• Staying focused is a challenge.
• You are beginning to daydream.
• You catch yourself drifting into another lane.
• You missed your exit.
• You are yawning a lot.
New Study Shows Drowsiness a Major Cause of Vehicle Crashes. Virginia Sleep Expert Offers Advice to Avoid Driver Fatigue, Save Lives, PR Web, November 2, 2009
How to Avoid Drowsy Driving, AAA Foundation (PDF)
Related Web Resources:
Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
National Sleep Foundation
