Many teens and adults pride themselves on how much they can get done in one day, even if this means that they have to skimp on sleep and rest. What many may not realize is that not getting enough sleep or rest can lead to them driving while they’re fatigued. This is a problem that’s often overlooked, but the dangers are significant.
Not having enough sleep can slow reaction time, impair judgment and reduce alertness. The longer a person stays awake, the worse the effects become. Being awake for 20 hours means the person will have the same impairment as someone who is legally drunk with a blood alcohol concentration of .08%.
Microsleeps are another problem
The change in driving ability isn’t the only negative side effect of fatigue while driving. Microsleeps are another risk that comes with driving while fatigued. These are short bursts of sleep that often last a few seconds or longer. But even short microsleeps can cause catastrophic crashes.
Vehicles are completely uncontrolled when a driver dozes off, so it doesn’t take long for risks to occur. If a driver dozes off for 5 seconds, their vehicle can go 100 yards if they’re moving at a speed of 55 miles per hour. That means that the car travels the entire distance of a football field without the driver having control of it.
Innocent people can suffer catastrophic injuries or even fatalities in fatigued driving crashes. For survivors of these crashes, immediate medical care is often necessary. The expense of receiving that care and the cost of having to miss time from work often lead to financial troubles. Those victims may opt to pursue a personal injury claim to hold the negligent driver accountable for those damages.
