Many of the most dangerous traffic behaviors are technically against the law. People know that it is illegal to text while driving or to get behind the wheel after drinking. The increased risk of a wreck, when combined with the threat of prosecution, is enough to deter them from making unsafe choices. However, certain dangerous decisions aren’t technically illegal. They are just provably unsafe. They may not receive the same attention from the media as more dramatic, illegal safety mistakes. Drowsy driving, for example, is more common than many people realize.
Many motorists choose to operate vehicles despite being so exhausted that their fatigue affects their safety. Those motorists could cause preventable crashes because they drive when they are too drowsy to be safe in traffic. What makes fatigued driving such a serious safety concern?
The risk of falling asleep
The more tired people feel, the more likely they are to fall asleep while driving. Highway hypnosis can easily occur when people drive late at night on roads without much to visually distract a driver.
Motorists who fall asleep even for a few seconds can lose control of their vehicles, which can lead to completely preventable collisions. Drivers who are so exhausted that they struggle to stay awake are not capable of safely operating a motor vehicle.
The performance impact of fatigue
Exhaustion is dangerous in part because of how it affects a driver’s performance at the wheel. Many safety professionals compare fatigued driving to drunk driving. People who haven’t slept recently may have longer reaction times when something unexpected happens. Their fatigue can affect their decision-making capabilities.
They may also have a difficult time staying focused, and distraction might only worsen their impaired capabilities. While it may not necessarily be possible to prove that a driver was drowsy, people may be able to validate their claims that a driver swerved over the center line, failed to respond to traffic conditions or made unsafe choices.
Anyone involved in a car or truck crash that they believe was the result of fatigued driving could have reasons to hold the driver at fault accountable. Reviewing insurance coverage and total losses with a skilled legal team can help people respond effectively to car crashes caused by fatigued drivers.