Did you know that after 18 awake hours, you can experience cognitive impairment similar to someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent? After 24 hours, the BAC equivalent increases to 0.10 percent. Inadequate sleep will inevitably affect your ability to make sound decisions and respond to emergency situations, especially while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving causes up to 6,000 fatal crashes every year, and contributes to two percent of all car accident injuries.
Drowsy driving is a dangerous practice that troubles roughly 60 percent of adult drivers in America. In fact, more than 100 million people reported falling asleep at the wheel in the National Sleep Foundation’s 2005 survey. Commercial drivers, shift workers, and individuals with disorders like sleep apnea are particularly at risk of driving with sleep deprivation. Dozing off at the wheel can put other motorists and pedestrians in danger, and result in tragic accidents.
The best way to prevent a collision caused by tiredness and drowsy driving is recognizing the symptoms of sleep deprivation before taking the wheel. Some early warning signs include:
Adults typically require seven or eight hours of sleep per day to function effectively. If you start nodding off or experiencing any of the signs above, we recommend you to pull over to rest before continuing to drive. Additionally, you should avoid taking sedatives or prescription drugs that may cause drowsiness.
When you notice another vehicle on the road swerving or behaving strangely, you should stay a safe distance away and report the incident. Often times, drowsy drivers continue traveling despite their fatigued states of mind. If you or a loved one suffered a car accident injury due to someone else’s negligence, you can receive compensation for resulting damages.
Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. is dedicated to helping car accident victims from all walks of life recover and rebuild their lives. An experienced accident attorney in Chicago can guide you through the steps in filing a legal claim against the liable party. We will handle completing paperwork, gathering evidence, dealing with insurance adjusters, and negotiating a fair settlement. In the past, our clients have attained compensation for accident-related costs such as medical expenses, counseling, car repairs, lost wages, rehabilitation, and other damages.
Our car accident attorneys serve clients throughout the Chicago area, including Aurora, Elgin, Hinsdale, Joliet, Naperville, and Waukegan. Many claims can be time-sensitive; so don’t hesitate to contact our office today to receive a free case evaluation. You can schedule a one-on-one session with one of our best personal injury lawyers at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. by calling (312) 236-2900 to discuss all of your legal options today.
Don’t miss this article: Top 25 Causes of Car Accidents and What You Can Do To Prevent Them. For this month of October, the Illinois attorneys at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. will be developing a blog series breaking down these leading causes of car crashes.
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