At some point in your life, you probably felt tired enough to sleep while driving. Well, according to a new study from The Centers For Disease Control (CDC), at least 1 in 24 U.S. adults admit to actually falling asleep at the wheel recently. Falling asleep!!!
And health officials who conducted the study believe those numbers should probably be higher given the fact that many people who fall asleep for a second or two probably are unaware they have slept.
The study found that drowsy driving was more common with men, drivers aged 25-34, those getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night, and (strangely) Texans.
To those that study sleep problems – these numbers are not a surprise. Still – as many as three percent of all fatal crashes can be attributed to sleepy drivers – and some experts believe the percentage is closer to one-third.
What should you watch for when you are driving?
- If you feel very tired
- If you don’t remember the last few miles of roadway
- You drift onto the rumble strips designed to signal you when you are drifting out of your lane.
If you find yourself feeling this way – stop immediately or better yet – don’t drive in the first place. Even sleeping for a single second of driving at 60 mph will take your vehicle 88 feet. Terrible things can happen in a very short distance.
If you or a loved one are ever injured in a car accident– always seek expert legal advice to protect yourself and your loved ones. And choose a Connecticut car accident lawyer carefully.
The car accident lawyers RisCassi & Davis have handled thousands of accident cases over our more than 65 years serving the people of Connecticut. Our Connecticut car accident lawyers have received local and national recognition for our handling of accident cases including:
- Top listing in “The Best Lawyers in America” and “Best Law Firms”
- Listing in New England Super Lawyers published by Connecticut Magazine. Less than 5% of attorneys in the New England states receive this honor
- Lifetime Achievement awards from the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
- Board Certification by the National Board of Trial Advocacy
If you would like a free consultation with one of our car accident lawyers, contact us today.
There is no obligation of any kind.