The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that at least 100,000 police-reported auto accidents are the direct result of drowsy driving. Alarmingly, a 2005 National Sleep Foundation poll revealed that about 60 percent of adult drivers – approximately 168 million people – have admitted to driving a vehicle while feeling drowsy over the past year, and more than one-third of drivers have actually fallen asleep at the wheel.
According to a 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation:
- Men are more likely to drive drowsy than women and are almost twice as likely to fall asleep behind the wheel
- Young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 are more likely to drive drowsy than other age groups
- Shift workers are more likely to drive drowsy than those who work regular daytime hours
- Adults with children are more likely to drive drowsy than those without children
Sleep deprivation dramatically increases a driver’s risk of being involved in an accident. In fact, Australian researchers have found that being awake for 18 hours produced an impairment equal to a BAC of .05. After 24 hours, this jumped to the equivalent of a .10 BAC; .08 is considered legally drunk. Fatigued driving results in more than 1,500 deaths and over 70,000 preventable injuries each year – a conservative estimate considering that it is difficult to attribute the exact cause of a car accident to sleepiness.
Your Legal Rights After a Fatigued Driving Accident
Fatigued drivers who cause accidents that injure or kill people can and should be held responsible for compensating victims for their losses. If you have been injured in a car accident and have questions about your rights, contact a Lexington car accident attorney at Goeing Goeing & McQuinn PLLC. Our legal team is prepared to review your case and guide you through the claims process from start to finish. Our goal is to help you obtain maximum compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more.
Call (859) 253-0088 today to speak with an attorney.