The risks of drowsy driving

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Car Accidents, on Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Massachusetts drivers should be aware of the potential risks of driving while sleep deprived. AAA estimates that 43 percent of American drivers have admitted to falling asleep or nodding off at the wheel at least once, based on a 2015 survey. Noting that this is a serious problem, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an initiative to prevent drivers from taking the wheel while low on sleep. A conference during National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week highlighted the prevalence and risks of fatigued driving. The NHTSA administrator reported that between 5,000 and 7,000 deaths occur each year in the United States as a result of fatigued driving. He also noted that an estimated 39.5 percent of major NTSB highway investigations between 2001 and 2012 involved fatigue as at least a contributing factor. A 2010 study by AAA determined that 16.5 percent of all deadly traffic accidents result from drowsy driving. The 2015 AAA survey found that 39.6 percent of drivers between the ages of 19 and 24 reported having difficulty keeping their eyes open while driving at least once in the previous month, putting them at the highest risk. Across all age groups, 31.5 percent admitted to that happening in the preceding month. People who have been injured in an auto accident caused by a sleep-deprived driver often face prolonged and expensive medical care and treatment, and many are unable to work and thus suffer even more financially through a loss of wages. An injured victim may want to have the assistance of a personal injury attorney in filing a lawsuit against the negligent motorist that would seek compensation for the losses that have been incurred.