Statistics for driving fatigue and related accidents

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Car Accidents, on Thursday, November 12, 2015

Massachusetts residents may work an extra job to meet the financial needs of their family, but this responsibility should also be balanced with a sense of caution when driving after a late shift or long work day. Those who drive while drowsy run the risk of nodding off behind the wheel, an issue that can result in a devastating accident. Unfortunately, statistics indicate that at least 40 percent of motorists have taken that risk at least once during their lives. Drowsy driving seems to be especially common among young drivers. Almost 40 percent of respondents between 19 and 24 years old in a recent AAA survey indicated at least one recent instance of driving in spite of drowsiness. The full sample of participants in this survey had a nearly 32 percent rate of fatigued driving within the previous month. These statistics compare to a nearly 40 percent rate of fatigue as a factor in major highway incidents investigated by NTSB between 2001 and 2012. A national study completed by AAA in 2010, meanwhile, indicated that fatigue played a role in approximately one-sixth of fatality auto accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has expressed concern over the number of fatigue-related fatalities across the country. During a prevention week focused on drowsy driving, the administrator of the agency highlighted the fact that thousands of lives end each year because drowsy drivers get behind the wheel. Education on the matter is an important method for encouraging individuals to avoid driving when sleepy. Fatigue is one of many issues in which a driver’s actions could result in legal and financial problems due to a resulting accident. A person who has been injured by a drowsy or otherwise negligent driver may want to speak with a personal injury attorney to determine the most advisable way of seeking compensation from the at-fault motorist for the losses that have been sustained.