Did you know that after 18 awake hours, you can experience cognitive impairment similar to someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent? After 24 hours, the BAC equivalent increases to 0.10 percent. Inadequate sleep will inevitably affect your ability to make sound decisions and respond to emergency situations, especially while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving causes up to 6,000 fatal crashes every year, and contributes to two percent of all car accident injuries.
Drowsy driving is a dangerous practice that troubles roughly 60 percent of adult drivers in America. In fact, more than 100 million people reported falling asleep at the wheel in the National Sleep Foundation’s 2005 survey.
Certain groups are particularly vulnerable to fatigue-related crashes, including:
Dozing off at the wheel puts everyone on the road in danger – drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike.
The best way to prevent a collision caused by tiredness and drowsy driving is recognizing the symptoms of sleep deprivation before taking the wheel. Some early warning signs include:
Preventing drowsy driving starts with getting enough rest and being proactive. Here are some ways to stay safe:
Most adults need 7-8 hours of rest every night to drive safely.
Understand how certain medications, medical conditions, or work schedules may increase your risk of fatigue.
If you notice warning signs while driving, pull over and rest. Don’t try to “tough it out.”
Try to plan longer drives during daylight hours when you’re naturally more alert.
When you notice another vehicle on the road swerving or behaving strangely, you should stay a safe distance away and report the incident. Often times, drowsy drivers continue traveling despite their fatigued states of mind. If you or a loved one suffered a car accident injury due to someone else’s negligence, you can receive compensation for resulting damages.
An experienced accident attorney in Chicago can guide you through the steps in filing a legal claim against the liable party.
A Staver car accident attorney can:
In the past, our clients have attained compensation for accident-related costs such as medical expenses, counseling, car repairs, lost wages, rehabilitation, and other damages.
Our car accident attorneys serve clients throughout the Chicago area, including Aurora, Elgin, Hinsdale, Joliet, Naperville, and Waukegan. Many claims can be time-sensitive; so don’t hesitate to contact our office today to receive a free case evaluation.
You can schedule a free one-on-one session with one of our personal injury lawyers at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. by calling (312) 236-2900 to discuss all of your legal options today.
Top 25 Causes of Car Accidents and What You Can Do To Prevent Them. For this month of October, the Illinois attorneys at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. will be developing a blog series breaking down these leading causes of car crashes.
When you’re fighting for maximum compensation, we know what it takes to get it.
