Most people in Alabama are aware of the serious risk that drunk drivers pose to innocent people on the roads. After consuming alcohol, a person’s ability to properly focus on driving, making prudent decisions and react in a timely manner are all compromised. In addition to drunk driving, drowsy driving is also a serious danger. According to the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as many as one out of every five deaths in motor vehicle accidents can be attributed to a fatigued or drowsy driver.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safely recently released details of a study that shows a parallel between drunk drivers and sleepy drivers in terms of the level of risk they pose to themselves and to others. The study uncovered a proportional relationship between amount of sleep and safety behind the wheel.
A person who drives on four or five hours of sleep in a 24-hour period may be just as dangerous as someone who drives while intoxicated. That same driver may be four times more likely to be involved in an accident than someone who has had more than seven hours of sleep. Getting five to six hours of sleep is better but still results in a crash risk twice that of the person with seven or more hours.
Alabama residents who find themselves involved in accidents caused by sleepy drivers deserve help. Talking to an attorney after such an incident may offer ideas on how to seek appropriate compensation.
Source: Alabama Public Radio, “Drivers Beware: Crash Rate Spikes With Every Hour Of Lost Sleep,” Allison Aubrey, Dec. 5, 2016
