While many traffic safety officials reiterate the dangers of driving while intoxicated or distracted, many Americans still fail to realize the risks associated with getting behind the wheel while fatigued.
According to a report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic and Safety, motorists who only sleep five to six hours within a 24-hour time period are two times as likely to be involved in car accidents as drivers who obtain at least seven hours of sleep.
Additional research suggests that the less sleep that a driver gets, the higher the crash rate. For example, motorists who obtained 4 to 6 hours of sleep had a crash rate four times higher crash rate, which is comparable to drunk drivers.
Earlier research shows that nearly 20% of deadly car crashes in the United States involve a fatigued driver. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 35,092 individuals suffered fatal injuries in car accidents throughout the nation. Statistics shows that this was a 7.2% increase in deadly accidents that occurred in 2014.
Jake Nelson, the AAA’s director of Traffic Safety Advocacy & Research, states that a driver who feels sleepy should pull over to take a nap. He explains, “Taking a 10 to 20 minute nap every couple of hours on a long drive has huge safety benefits in terms of your ability to drive without crashing.”
Injured by a Fatigued Driver? Call Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P.
If you have sustained injuries in an accident caused by a fatigued driver, we urge you to get in touch with our Reno car accident lawyers at Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P. right away. When you choose to work with our legal team, we can examine the details of your case and determine which legal strategies can best help you recover compensation in the shortest amount of time possible.
Don’t wait to get the help you need. Call Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P. right away.