There’s been a lot of information on the news in the past few years about the dangers of distracted driving and driving while drowsy. Since you were a kid, you’ve likely heard that you need your eight hours of sleep every night, yet as Americans we become busier and busier, sleep is often the first thing we cut back on.
There are lots of reasons to try your best to get a good night’s sleep, including a lower chance of depression, less of a chance of weight loss, and better overall health, but today at Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas we want to discuss one thing that’s lead to many automobile accidents over the years: Driving while drowsy.
The statistics may shock you
We find time and time again that people are shocked to learn that one in five fatal accidents in the United States are linked to driving while drowsy. That’s a full 20% of accidents that may not have happened if the driver simply got more sleep.
Sleep less and increase your chance of getting into an accident
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has taken this situation seriously and did a full study. What they found was that drivers who’d slept just five to six hours the night before are twice as likely to get into an accident, compared to drivers who got at least seven hours of sleep in the proceeding 24 hours. Those who are specialists in sleep and sleep disorders actually recommend seven at the minimum but ideally would like us to get nine hours of sleep a night.
When you consider drivers who’ve only slept between four and five hours in the last 24 hours, they’re as likely to get into an accident as a drunk driver is. This study was done by looking at data from the police, emergency personnel, and NHTSA.
There may be good news
While these statistics are alarming, the good news is that you can simply take a nap if you didn’t get enough sleep in the night. Note that the study described above only deals with how much sleep was gotten in the 24 hours before an accident – not how much of that sleep was at one time. While it’s better to sleep all at once, if you can’t, just taking a nap for an hour or two before driving can make a big difference.
Keep an eye on factors that can increase drowsy driving accidents
Some medications can make people drowsy. If an individual is driving a long distance without stopping, they can become drowsy much more quickly than they would if they were stopping regularly. If you or a loved one was injured in a car, bus, or truck accident that involved a drowsy driver, then you should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
At Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas we can provide a free case evaluation. We’ll listen to your situation, offer our advice, and make sure you have all the facts before you move forward with your decision. Call us today at 909-982-0707 to get started.
