Everybody knows that driving under the influence is a bad idea. Not only do you put yourself at risk, but you put everyone else you encounter on the road at risk as well. However, driving under the influence isn’t the only dangerous impairment that could cause a serious accident. In fact, you may be putting yourself and others in danger on a daily basis without one drop of alcohol or illegal substance in your blood. It’s called sleep deprivation and it can kill.
According to a recent study by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, driving fatigued is just as dangerous as driving after consuming 3-4 alcoholic drinks. That’s an astonishing finding considering more than 35% of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep every night. That’s millions of people out on the road every day driving fatigued.
What does this mean for personal injury law? It’s currently not technically against the law to drive sleep-deprived. How would you even prove how much or how little sleep someone has had recently?
At Daniel Stark, we’re more concerned right now with informing the good people of Texas of the dangers of driving fatigued. If you know you’re too tired to drive, call a cab or get a ride from a friend or family member. It’s worth the inconvenience or cost to know that you’ll get to your destination safely.
