You’ve just come home from a trip and are exhausted. You mutter to yourself that you should probably take a cab, but rule this option out because of the extra expense. You crawl into your vehicle, barely able to keep your eyes open. You pull a Coke out of the glove compartment, hoping that it will help revive you before the long drive home. Then you blast the radio on a head-banging metal station to wake your senses up from their slumber. When you begin driving, your eyes continuously flutter in attempt to stare at the road ahead. Suddenly, you weave into the other lane and a car’s lights blind your vision. The result of your decision is a serious crash, car accident injuries, and a criminal record.
The scenario above describes a drowsy driver attempting to make it home when they are in no place to drive. Driving when extremely tired is comparable to driving when intoxicated, though they are treated completely differently. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explains that drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 crashes each year.
Tips to Avoid Driving Fatigued
When you’re tired and attempting to get behind the wheel, you’re making a dangerous decision that leads to you, or another driver, receiving severe car accident injuries due to a motor vehicle accident. The behaviour might seem harmless, but the consequences are extremely severe. Here are a few tips to avoid this behaviour on the roads:
- You have to be your own judge and question if you are too tired to drive or not. If the answer is “yes” then take a break, a cab, or push your plans to the next day. AAA conducted a survey, and 90% of police officers said that they have pulled over drivers, suspicious that they were under the influence, who were actually driving while extremely fatigued.
- Look out for the signs! Yawning, fluttering eyes, lack of concentration, and irritability are all signs that you are too tired to drive. The more serious signs are easier to spot, as drivers begin drifting, tailgating, and forgetfulness. If you spot these signs yourself, report the driver to the police.
- Before you attempt to drive long distances, create a plan before you begin the journey. You need to get at least 8 hours of sleep before you even begin driving, and have a passenger with you that will take driving shifts along the way.
- If you suddenly feel extremely tired on the road, pull over somewhere safe and have a power nap to revitalize your senses. Caffeine and sugar cause crashes that could make your drive far worse in a few hours. So be aware of the substitutions for sleep, because if you can sleep—it’s your best option.
Hiring a Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer
Drowsy driving is a detrimental behaviour that merits serious consequences for the driver. If you have been involved in a car accident, sustaining car accident injuries, and a drowsy driver was the at-fault driver in the accident, a Toronto personal injury lawyer will help you to receive the compensation you deserve for your case. Book a free consultation with a Toronto personal injury lawyer at Sokoloff today.
Sources:
https://books.google.ca/books?id=cZIqAAAAQBAJ&pg=PP4&lpg=PP4&dq=AARP's+Drive+Smart:+How+to+Stay+Safe%E2%80%94and+Save+Money&source=bl&ots=__zfiq5y4I&sig=6QV8jTNCU79nhhV8HnmWau4LKAc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBzuG1l8rJAhVDOj4KHQoSB10Q6AEIJTAB#v=onepage&q=AARP's%20Drive%20Smart%3A%20How%20to%20Stay%20Safe%E2%80%94and%20Save%20Money&f=false