What You Should Know About Fatigued Driving Accidents

When car crashes happen in Texas, there are often common causes or causal factors that can be cited. For example, intoxicated driving and distracted driving frequently result in motor vehicle collisions. Speeding and other forms of aggressive driving are also commonly cited as causal factors in a wide range of crashes, from highway pileups to intersection collisions. Drowsy or fatigued driving is another very serious problem on Texas roads, but it does not tend to get as much attention as other forms of negligent and hazardous driving. What should you know about fatigued driving and filing a car accident claim after a drowsy driving crash? Our Texas car accident lawyers can discuss this topic with you today.

Drowsy Driving is More Dangerous Than You Might Think 

Drowsy driving, also frequently described as fatigued or sleepy driving, is a serious problem that results in hundreds of deaths on US roadways every year. Indeed, it is a bigger problem than you might think. Even being mildly fatigued can affect a person’s ability to drive safely, and according to the National Sleep Foundation, driving after sleeping for four hours or fewer results in a driver being just as impaired as a motorist with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher (i.e., drunk driving).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that approximately 700 deaths are attributed to fatigued driving every year, and that number is likely an undercount. Given that there is no test like a breathalyzer to identify fatigued driving, it can be more difficult to track than crashes in which alcohol is a factor.

Getting the Details About Drowsy Driving Claims 

When a person has not had enough sleep to focus on the road, or has been behind the wheel for a number of hours without a break on a longer road trip, a fatigued driving crash can occur. When a driver’s fatigue or drowsiness causes a collision, that fatigued driver can often be held accountable through a civil lawsuit brought under a theory of negligence. In other words, a car accident attorney in Texas can help you to prove that the drowsy driver’s fatigued driving was negligent, and therefore that driver is responsible for compensating you for the losses they caused.

While drowsy driving accidents can happen anywhere and at any time, the NHTSA and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report that these collisions occur most often between midnight and 6:00 a.m., as well as in the late afternoon and early evening during the end-of-day commute. At these times, “people experience dips in their circadian rhythm,” the NHTSA explains. Fatigued driving collisions also happen most often on rural roads and on highways, and when there is a single driver with no passengers.

 Contact a Car Accident Attorney in Texas

Were you injured in a motor vehicle collision caused by a drowsy or fatigued driver? Or was someone you love killed in an accident in which fatigued driving may have been a causal factor? It is important to discuss your case with an attorney to find out more about filing a claim and holding the negligent motorist accountable. An experienced car accident lawyer in Texas at John Reed, Attorney at Law can discuss the details of your case with you today and can begin working with you on a claim. Contact us for more information about how we can assist you.

Sources:

thensf.org/drowsy-driving-is-like-drunk-driving/

nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drowsy-driving

aaafoundation.org/drowsy-driving-in-fatal-crashes-united-states-2017-2021/