Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
The National Sleep Foundation wants to bring heightened awareness to the danger of driving while sleep deprived. As part of their effort, they have declared November 5-12 as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. The Foundation’s annual outreach effort aims to reduce the number of drivers who decide to drive sleep deprived.Drowsy drivers are responsible for more than 6,400 U.S. deaths annually from falling asleep at the wheel.Beyond fatalities, there are many thousands of serious injury car accidents because a driver fell asleep at the wheel. The Foundation hopes that educating people will make a difference.
A new poll commissioned by the NationalSleep Foundation shows that 97% of those polled recognize drowsy driving as a threat to safety.More than 68% of the people polled considered it to be a major threat. However, three in 10 Americans reported not knowing how many hours they could be awake without sleep and still drive safely. These findings highlight the need for public education on how to assess one’s alertness and risk of driving while drowsy. A driver needs to recognize when they are at risk of falling asleep so they can pull off the road.
INJURIES AND DEATHS FROM SLEEPY DRIVERS
Driving while tired or sleepy reduces the driver’s reaction time.For example if traffic stops suddenly or slows, a drowsy driver is more likely to cause a rear-end crash. Driving while sleepy also increases the risk of falling asleep and crossing into oncoming traffic or driving off the road. A head-on crash often produces terrible injuries to people in both vehicles.
Our car accident lawyers have represented many people injured in Minnesota by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. Of course, crashes are also caused by drunk drivers, texting while driving and other similar situations.Join us in the effort to eliminate drowsy driving! Share resources and information on Drowsy Driving Prevention directly on social media using the hashtag #AlertAtTheWheel.
If you are the victim of a car crash, call us for a free consultation. Particularly if the other driver fell asleep while driving. We make sure our clients receive full compensation for their injuries.