Motor vehicles accidents resulting in personal injury commonly involve drowsy driving. These types of accidents are within the top five causes of motor vehicle accidents in Florida and across the country.
Rate of fatigued driving accidents
Car accidents arising from drowsy driving are alarmingly commonplace according to the National Safety Council. Fatigued drivers are three times more likely to cause motor vehicle accidents than motorists who are not drowsy. In addition, a person driving after more than 20 hours awake is is akin to operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08. This is the equivalent of driving over the legal limit.
A considerable segment of the population self-reports that they drive while fatigued. In a research study by the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 40% of drivers admitted to having fallen asleep behind the wheel at some juncture in time. Half of the adults surveyed admitted to regularly getting behind the wheel when drowsy or fatigued.
Death and drowsy driving
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that 6,000 fatal accidents are caused across the United States annually as the result of fatigued drivers. Tens of thousands of fatigued drivers cause non-fatal accidents that still result in personal injury, including severe disability and disfigurement.
If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident cause by a fatigued driver, you need to understand your legal rights. The starting point is consulting with a Florida personal injury lawyer about how to pursue compensation from the at-fault driver. Your lawyer may help investigate evidence from the accident to prove that the other driver was drowsy and thus caused your injuries.