Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
In Cutler Bay and across South Florida, fatigued drivers are a serious risk on the roads. The trucking industry has recognized the dangers of tired drivers and requires truck drivers to limit hours on the road and keep updated logs of hours rested. For passenger car drivers, there are no such restrictions. For both truck drivers and passenger car motorists, fatigue contributes to 91,000 serious collisions yearly.
What Is the Risk of Fatigued Driving?
Drowsiness and fatigue can be caused by many factors:
- Overwork
- Inadequate rest
- Poor sleep conditions
- Sleep disorders
- Poor sleep quality
- Medical issues such as sleep apnea, which can interrupt sleep
- Medications which can lead to poor sleep or cause drowsiness
No matter what causes drowsiness, it is deadly for motorists. Drowsiness slows down response times—as much as alcohol can, according to some studies. A tired driver is more likely to make mistakes or miss important information on the road, such as road signs, which can cause a crash. Fatigue can make a motorist less able to focus on the road and can result in poor decision-making.
The body needs sleep, so eventually it begins to shut down when it is tired enough. As a driver gets more and more fatigued, their eyes will begin to close for slightly longer periods of time. Eventually, the body starts taking small micro-sleeps, where your body falls asleep for a few seconds or fractions of a second. Many people who enter micro-sleeps are not even aware of them. Severe fatigue can also lead to falling asleep or losing consciousness at the wheel.
From a mildly tired driver making mistakes on the road to someone falling asleep at the wheel, sleepiness is a big risk. You cannot fully and safely focus on driving when you are too tired for your brain to focus correctly.
How Can We Prevent Drowsy Driving in Cutler Bay?
There are many things we can all do to reduce the risk of fatigued driving accidents on our streets:
- Consider an alternative means of transportation if you’re driving late or you are tired.
- Create a cool and quiet bedroom to get better quality sleep.
- Experiment with adding some time to your sleeping schedule.
- Manage your time carefully so you can get at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, so your body can adjust to your schedule.
- Avoid intense movies, work, screen time, caffeine, and heavy exercise later in the day, when these activities could interfere with sleep.
- Go to bed earlier when you can to get better sleep.
- Check labels and talk to your pharmacist to confirm whether any of your medications could cause drowsiness.
- If you wake up sleepy and experience fatigue throughout the day, talk to your doctor to see if a medical issue is causing fatigue.
Was My Car Collision Caused by a Sleepy Driver?
Unless a driver looks exhausted, it can be difficult to tell whether fatigue played a role in a car collision. If you have been injured in a car crash and suspect fatigue or negligence played a role, reach out to Flaxman Law Group for a free, no obligation consultation. You can also call us at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation with a Cutler Bay car accident injury claims attorney.