Everyone who drives wants to feel safe when they are on the road. The truth is that fatal car accidents are one of the most common ways for a person to die – but it is also true that there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of being involved in a fatal car accident. One of those steps is to understand what causes these accidents and then avoid those situations.
Today at Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we are highlighting the increase in the number of car accidents caused by drowsy driving and how you can avoid becoming a statistic in this category. If you have already been injured in this or another type of car accident, contact us at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
A Closer Look at the Statistics from the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council has released statistics that are truly startling. They show that 21% of fatal car accidents involve a driver who was drowsy, that there are more than 6,400 fatal drowsy driving accidents per year, and that more than 50% of all drivers admit that they drive while feeling tired on a regular basis.
In fact, 37% of drivers were willing to admit that they have fallen asleep at the wheel while driving, and 13% of those say that they have fallen asleep at the wheel in the last month. Note that as startling as these numbers are, it is likely that many accidents caused by drowsy driving are not reported as such, and that people are not always willing to admit to driving while drowsy. As a result, the numbers could be much higher.
How to Know You Are Too Tired to Drive
Everyone is tired sometimes, but how can you tell that you are too tired to drive safely? If you have any of the following signs, then you are probably too tired to safely drive:
- You cannot focus
- You continually drift into another lane
- Your eyelids feel very heavy
- You yawn more than once
- You cannot remember the last stretch of road you drove
- Your head keeps bobbing up and down
If you notice any of these while you are driving, pull over as soon as possible. Taking just a 20-minute nap could help get you the rest eye you need to make it a short distance to your destination.
If you have suffered an injury in an accident in which someone else was driving while drowsy or otherwise negligent, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.
