Turning back the clocks means an extra hour of sleep over the weekend and that darkness now comes earlier. It also means Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. Each year, the National Sleep Foundation holds Drowsy Driving Prevention Week the week following the end of Daylight Saving Time. This year, Drowsy Driving Prevention Week is November 7 through November 13. In honor of Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, we will provide information on drowsy driving as well as tips to avoid drowsy driving.
We hope the below information helps you focus on safe driving. If another driver injures you in a drowsy driving accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer will help to protect your rights and ensure you receive maximum compensation.
As a Las Vegas accident victim, you don’t want to fight alone against insurance companies. They do not have your best interests in mind. Anthem Injury Lawyers has a dedicated team of lawyers and staff ready to help you with your personal injury case. Insurance companies and other parties are not interested in helping you receive what you should as a victim in a Las Vegas accident. Your Las Vegas accident lawyer should have a proven track record of winning cases like yours for significant compensation. Our lawyers offer you 25 years of experience winning top compensation for Las Vegas accident victims.
Time is of the essence when pursuing compensation in accident cases. Don’t delay—have our Las Vegas accident lawyers review your case. Sometimes people avoid contacting an accident lawyer because they worry about cost. You don’t have to worry about affordability. Our attorneys don’t get paid unless they win your case. Contact Anthem Injury Lawyers at (702) 857-6000 to make an appointment for a free consultation.
Drowsy Driving
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowsy driving is:
- Operating a motor vehicle while fatigued or sleepy.
Drowsy driving is dangerous. Driving while sleepy can do the following:
- Slow your reaction time
- Decrease awareness
- Impair your judgment
While it is evident that drowsy driving is dangerous, it is unclear just how dangerous drowsy driving is for U.S. drivers. Why is it unclear? It is unclear because the incidences of drowsy driving are difficult to quantify. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
- Determining a precise number of drowsy-driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities is not yet possible. Crash investigators can look for clues that drowsiness contributed to a crash, but these clues are not always identifiable or conclusive.
Most agencies and groups agree that drowsy driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities are underreported. With that in mind, NHTSA reported 697 deaths from drowsy-driving-related crashes in 2019.
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Drowsy Driving Warning Signs
Life is difficult. Demanding work schedules, life changes such as a new baby, and health issues can all make it difficult to get the sleep we need to properly function. Unfortunately, we rarely pause our daily schedule just because we are tired. This means that most of us have driven when we have felt tired. Driving while tired is dangerous. Recognizing the signs of drowsy driving can help you to know when it is time to get off the road. Feeling tired is just one of many warning signs that you could fall asleep at the wheel. Can you think of any other drowsy driving warning signs?
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety provided the below list of Danger Signs for Drowsy Drivers. If you experience any of the following, you should immediately pull off the road and find a safe place to sleep:
- Have trouble keeping your eyes open and focused.
- Can’t keep your head up.
- Daydream or have wandering, disconnected thoughts.
- Yawn frequently.
- Rub your eyes repeatedly.
- Find yourself drifting from your lane or tailgating.
- Miss signs or drive past your exit.
- Feel irritable and restless.
- Drift off the road and hit the rumble strips.
- Are unable to remember how far you have traveled.
- Can’t remember what you have recently passed by.
Responsible drivers recognize when they are tired and choose not to drive when it may be dangerous. Unfortunately, even the most responsible driver can be injured in a car accident. If a drowsy driver injures you, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. Anthem Injury Lawyers is a team of experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyers and case managers. Contact us today at (702) 857-6000 to make an appointment for a free consultation.
Drowsy Driving Prevention Tips
Drowsy driving accidents are preventable. There can be many reasons that you may feel tired while driving, including the following:
- Alcohol
- Medications
- Sleep disorders
You can prevent drowsy driving from the above reasons by doing the following:
- Drive sober. Consumption of alcohol interacts with sleepiness and increases drowsiness and impairment. Alcohol and driving do not mix.
- Check your medications. Prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause drowsiness. Check your medication labels and/or talk to your doctor about how your medications may interact with your driving.
- Treat sleep disorders. Sleep apnea and other disorders impact the quality of your sleep.
Additional Drowsy Driving Prevention Tips
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety provided the following tips to avoid driving drowsy:
- Don’t drive when you are sleepy. If you become sleepy while driving, pull over and take a break.
- Get enough sleep every night. Make sure you are well-rested the night before a long trip. Sleeping less than six hours increases your risk of falling asleep at the wheel. Sleeping less than four hours is especially dangerous.
- Plan to travel during times when you are normally awake. Do not plan to work all day and then drive all night. Choose to stay overnight rather than drive straight through.
- Travel with a passenger. An alert passenger can watch for signs of fatigue. If you have a front seat passenger, they should remain awake.
- Take a power nap. If you start to feel tired, pull off the road and park in a safe place. A safe place can be a parking lot or rest area. Never park on the shoulder of the road for an extended period of time. Pick a well-lit place where your car is visible to passersby. Roll up the windows, lock the doors, and lie back in the driver’s seat for 20 minutes or so. When you wake up, get some exercise and have some caffeine.
- Schedule a break every two hours or every 100 miles. Stop sooner if you become sleepy. Before your trip, figure out safe places to stop.
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EXPERIENCED LAS VEGAS PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS
We hope the above discussion helps you avoid drowsy driving. If a drowsy driver injures you in a Las Vegas area accident, you should speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer. Some people wonder why they need a personal injury lawyer to help them. A personal injury lawyer will work aggressively to protect your rights and help you receive maximum compensation for your injuries.
Award-winning law firm Anthem Injury Lawyers is a team of experienced and dedicated personal injury lawyers. We are based in Henderson, Nevada, and serve clients throughout the Las Vegas area. When we say we offer personal injury law experience, we mean over 25 years of experience. This is the combination of knowledge and expertise you need to win significant compensation as a victim in a Las Vegas area accident. Our decades of experience, our expertise, plus our deep familiarity with all aspects of Nevada law, give you a powerful advantage. You will need that advantage to fight against those who may keep you from receiving what you deserve as a Las Vegas accident victim.
Your choice of an accident lawyer is one of the most consequential decisions you will ever make. It’s important to select a Las Vegas attorney that can put you in the best position to win your case. That’s why you need to speak with Anthem Injury Lawyers. Get the best accident attorneys in Las Vegas fighting for you. Our experts offer you the best opportunity to win top compensation. Contact Anthem Injury Lawyers today at (702) 857-6000 to make an appointment for a free consultation.
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