Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys Represent Those Injured by Fatigued Drivers
Illinois Accident Law Firm Handles Drowsy Driving Injury Cases
Most Americans could use more and a better quality of sleep. Sleep deprivation is a problem that affects nearly everyone, and crashes relating to fatigued drivers happen much more often than most people realize.
Fatigued Driving Extremely Dangerous
According to a recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report, drowsy is eight times more dangerous than previously believed to be. Through the use of scientific procedures that connected the amount of time a driver closed their eyes to their relative degree of drowsiness, the AAA researchers found that nearly 10 percent of all accidents involved drowsy driving. Previous federal estimates had found fatigue to be a factor in only one to two percent of all accidents.
How Sleep Deprivation Impairs Driving Ability
Fatigued driving typically happens when a driver has gotten an inadequate amount of sleep, but it can also be the result of an untreated sleep disorder, certain medications, sleep apnea, alcohol use, or shift work. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 35 percent of drivers in the U.S. sleep less than the recommended minimum of seven hours per day.
Drowsiness typically affects drivers in the following ways:
- Sleepiness makes them less able to focus their attention on the road.
- Fatigue results in a slower reaction time to brake or steer suddenly.
- Tired drivers are more prone to make bad driving decisions.
According to AAA, ninety-six percent of all drivers say they consider drowsy driving to be unacceptable and unsafe behavior. However, nearly 30 percent admitted that they have driven while fatigued during the past 30 days, and approximately one in 25 adult drivers reported having fallen asleep at the wheel in the past month.
Contact a Chicago Personal Injury Law Firm Today
Were you the victim of an accident caused by a fatigued driver? Contact the Illinois accident attorneys at Kelly Law Offices, LLC online or call 1-800-859-8800 to set up a free initial consultation to discuss your case today.
