Oregon drivers like you do what you can to keep safe on the road. Unfortunately, you cannot control or predict the behavior of other drivers. This means distracted drivers put you at risk every time they share your road space.
It might surprise you to know that drowsy drivers also fall under this category. A driver without enough sleep is a driver that cannot focus and an unfocused driver puts others at risk.
Effects of driving while drowsy
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration examines risks that come with drowsy driving. Drowsy driving actually has similar effects to driving while under the influence of intoxicants. Drowsy drivers often suffer from the following:
- Trouble predicting and reacting to dangers
- Slowed reflexes
- The potential of falling asleep at the wheel
- Bad decision making
- An inability to control your actions and reactions
The prevalence of sleep deprivation in drivers
Needless to say, a tired driver is one that cannot navigate the roads safely. Also, tired drivers are everywhere. There are campaigns to bring awareness to the dangers of drowsy driving. But many people get less than 6 hours of sleep a night. Some work shift schedules. Others take medicine that makes them sleepy. Students may not get enough sleep because of cramming. Workers might have overburdened schedules.
There are also plenty of health factors that affect a person’s sleep sleep. Depression often disrupts sleep schedules. So do physical ailments like diabetes. Related, there are many crashes caused by drowsy drivers because of this. With all of these factors affecting sleep, it is no wonder that there are so many drowsy drivers. That is where part of the danger lies. Many drowsy drivers leads to crashes caused by drowsy drivers.
You do your best to eliminate your own risks behind the wheel with actions like staying off of your cell phone and keeping your radio volume down. However, controlling other drivers’ distractions is impossible and their negligence puts others’ safety at-risk. If someone’s negligence causes an accident, you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries or damages.