Drowsy driving remains a serious, yet somewhat unknown, problem throughout the United States.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy driving is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and injuries every year.
No matter who you are, you can become drowsy when driving. This holds true even if you got a good night’s sleep before getting behind the wheel. However, some people are more likely to drive drowsy than others, including the following:
- Commercial truck drivers: These truckers spend many consecutive hours on the road, making it difficult to get enough rest. And when they do sleep, it’s often in the back of their truck, which doesn’t make for ideal conditions.
- Drivers with a sleep disorder: If you have a sleep disorder, you may not be getting as much quality sleep as you thought. The longer this goes undiagnosed or untreated, the greater chance there is of causing an accident.
- Anyone who takes medication that can make them drowsy: Some prescription and over-the-counter medications have a warning on the label about causing drowsiness. Taking this type of medication before driving is a dangerous mistake.
Even if you’re completely focused on the road and feeling more alert than ever, the person driving next to you could be seconds away from falling asleep.
If a drowsy driver causes an accident, your immediate attention should turn to your safety and health, which means calling for help and receiving immediate medical treatment.
Since it was the drowsy driver’s negligence that caused the crash, you may want to take legal action to hold them responsible.
