Driving While Drowsy
It’s no secret that distracted driving continues to persist as a major cause of car accidents in this country. According to recent statistics published by a major insurance company, distracted driving increases the chances of having a car accident many times over. Some examples include:
- Texting increases the chances of having a car accident by 23 times.
- Reaching for an object increases the chances of having an auto accident nine-fold.
- Eating doubles the chances that someone might have a car crash.
- Brushing hair, applying makeup, brushing teeth, and other forms of grooming triple the chances that someone could be involved in a severe accident.
- Reading while driving quadruples the chances that someone could have a car accident.
The problem with multi-tasking is that the brain has to shift focus to handle multiple obligations at once. This not only leads to a car accident but could also result in serious injuries.
The Dangers of Driving While Tired
If people are driving while they are fatigued, they are slower to react to changing road conditions. This means that they are more likely to be involved in a car accident. Furthermore, they might fall asleep entirely and fail to hit the brakes at all before impact. Because of this, accidents occur at higher speeds resulting in severe and possibly fatal injuries.
A Research Article: Cause and Effect
A team of researchers collected records on over 1,000 accidents reported in a local area. Based on the results:
- Accidents involving someone falling asleep behind the wheel are six times more likely to result in a severe injury.
- Those who drive on less than six hours of sleep were at a 33% greater risk of being involved in a car accident.
- Someone who had reported feeling fatigued while driving was 10% more likely to be involved in an accident that resulted in serious injuries.
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Car Accident Lawyers in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a Car Accident Lawyer in Sacramento. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident involving drowsy driving, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. I can provide free, friendly advice.
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