“Just a few minutes and I’ll be home,” you tell yourself, as you coast along the Provo, Utah highway. The sun has already sunk over the horizon, and your day of holiday preparations has left you exhausted. Your eyelids begin to feel heavier. It’s the drift of your car into the next lane that jolts you awake. A quick correction back into your lane, and it’s time to pull over.
The statistics don’t lie; drowsy driving is nearly as dangerous as driving under the influence. If you don’t want to contact a car accident attorney amidst your holiday planning, it’s time to get informed and drive safely.
The Danger in Numbers
According to the reported numbers, 72,000 car accident cases, resulting in 44,000 injuries and 800 deaths can be attributed to drowsy driving. Again, these are only the reported numbers—the reality behind the folks who should be contacting a lawyer could be astounding.
In fact, one out of every 25 drivers admit to having fallen asleep behind the wheel within the past 30 days. At this point of the year, when the sun is setting earlier than usual, students are spending more hours getting through finals and families are exhausting themselves with holiday preparation, it’s no surprise.
Most Dangerous
“Drive alert and stay unhurt.” If you miss a full two to three hours of sleep a day, you more than quadruple your risk of getting into a car accident. Drowsy driving, resulting in the need for an attorney, is likely to happen: on long journeys, early in the morning, after eating, when taking medications or after long days at work.
Nobody knows the exact moment when sleep takes over—we only recognize the aftermath. But if you find that you are yawning, blinking extra, missing your exit or drifting over the rumble strip, take action. Pull off the road, no matter how close you are to home, find a lot to leave your car in and set up an Uber.
Your safety is in your control. Take advantage of the technologies available to you in order to get home to your family this year.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/features/dsdrowsydriving/index.html
drowsydriving.org/about/