Career Drivers Can Have Problems with Fatigue
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton Personal Injury Lawyer. Many people drive for a living, whether it is driving trucks, taxis or buses. Unfortunately, this can be a stressful career, particularly when people are forced to drive for hours on end. There are numerous health complications which can arise when people drive for extended periods of time. They include:
- Blood Clots: While chest trauma and cardiac contusions are common ways that might trigger a blood clot, people can develop these dangerous health complications just by driving for long hours. When people sit still for an extended period of time, their blood can start to pool in their lower extremities, leading to blood clots that form in the deep veins of the legs. If the blood clots move from the veins to the rest of the body, they can cause a heart attack, a stroke, or even a pulmonary embolism. These are serious complications which could lead to wrongful death.
- Vision Changes: People who drive extended hours are also prone to developing vision problems. Many individuals will spend a significant amount of time straining to see the road signs or the screen on their phone for directions. This can cause severe damage to the retinas of the eyes, leading to rapid vision deterioration. When people start to lose their vision, this could lead to an increased risk of being involved in an auto accident.
Occupational drivers also suffer from chronic fatigue, making them prone to getting involved in an accident.
Extreme Fatigue Can Be A Problem
A team of professionals published a research paper describing the harmful effects that long hours of driving can have on a person. People who drive for a living are often paid by the trip or the mile. This means that they usually push through hours of the night, throwing off their sleep schedule. When people don’t get enough sleep, they are often driving while fatigued. Like drunk driving, drowsy driving can also be dangerous and can increase the chances of being involved in a collision. When people are tired, their reaction time is slower, and they don’t often notice dangerous changes in road conditions. New obstacles or other vehicles on the road can go unnoticed, increasing the risk of catastrophic accidents in the streets. These accidents can be severe and could lead to serious injuries.
Watch YouTube Video – By Huff Post – HuffPost PSA | Drowsy Driving
This public service announcement sends out an important message about the dangers of drowsy driving.
Prolonged Hospital Stays for Those Involved in Serious Accidents
When accidents occur as a result of fatigued driving, the crashes are often more severe because the driver does not slam on the brakes before the accident. This means that these accidents occur at much higher speeds, leading to life-threatening injuries. Accidents that occur at 75 MPH have a higher risk of injury than crashes that occur at 25 or 30 MPH after someone has slammed on the brakes and taken evasive action. Injuries from these accidents could require extended surgery, prolonging their stay in a hospital.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Stockton
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton Personal Injury Lawyer. Drowsy driving can cause severe car crashes. If you or a family member has been injured in an accident involving a fatigued driver, call me for free, friendly advice at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400.
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