Personal Injury Blog

Drowsy Driving Blamed for Accident in Los Angeles

September 15th, 2011
Drowsy Driving Accidents

Drowsy driving is blamed in more than 100,000 accidents per year.

Police are still considering whether to file charges against a motorist who crashed her car into a restaurant in South Los Angeles over the weekend.  Police suspect that the motorist fell asleep at the wheel, and that this caused the accident. This is unfortunately another case of drowsy driving blamed for accident.

The accident occurred early on Sunday morning when a Honda Accord jumped a curb, and crashed through the front door of a restaurant.  Fortunately, the restaurant was empty at the time.  The female driver also did not suffer injuries.  Police have not yet decided if they will file charges against her.  However, they do suspect that she fell asleep at the wheel.

According to statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, accidents involving drivers who fell asleep at the wheel kill 1,550 people annually in more than 100,000 accidents.  Additionally, these accidents lead to more than 71,000 injuries every year.  A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drivers between 16 and 24 were almost twice as likely to be involved in a crash caused by drowsy driving, compared to persons of other age groups.  The study also found that drivers accompanied by passengers were 50% less likely to report falling asleep at the wheel.

Contrary to belief, drowsy driving doesn’t necessarily have to occur at night.  People can nod off even in the daytime.  In fact, about 26% of drivers report falling asleep at the wheel between noon and 5 PM.  Men have a much higher chance of reporting falling asleep at the wheel than women.

In fact, Los Angeles car accident lawyers believe that drowsy driving is one of the most underestimated accident factors.  This is in spite of the fact that approximately 28% of Americans have admitted that they fell asleep at the wheel at some point during the past year.  In a survey conducted by Sleep in America, more than half of Americans admitted that they have driven in a tired state.

Some people may be at a much higher risk of drowsy driving than others.  For instance, shift workers may be at a higher risk of irregular sleep patterns that contribute to drowsy driving.  Teenagers and young adults with hectic lives may be at a higher risk of fatigued driving.  Additionally, drowsy driving may be the result of the side effects of medications.

Look out for the following signs that you need to pull over

  • Problems in focusing on the road ahead
  • Drifting off into daydreams
  • Heavy eyelids
  • Frequent dozing
  • Difficulty keeping your head up
  • Frequent drifting from your lane
  • Repeated yawning
  • Restlessness and irritability
  • Difficulty in seeing traffic signs or processing them
  • Tailgating
  • Failure to see rumble strips

If you’re driving on a long trip, take a friend along, to keep tiredness at bay.  Sleep well before you embark on a long trip.  Do not plan long hours driving, without factoring in some rest along the way. Tips like the ones above help prevent cases where drowsy driving is blamed for the accident.

 

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