drowsy driving

Published on: November 15, 2016

Lane-Drift Accidents Often Linked to Drowsiness, Drug Abuse

Many accidents that are caused when a vehicle veers out of its lane and hits another car are believed to be the result of motorists being sleep deprived, driving under the influence alcohol or drugs, or suffering a serious medical condition. A new study confirms this.

According to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, incapacitation was the key factor in approximately 34% of lane-drift accidents studied as part of the research. Incapacitation here refers to a motorist dozing off while sleeping, blacking out in a medical emergency, or passing out under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The research focused on approximately 630 lane-drift accidents that occurred between 2005 and 2007, and found that in approximately 17% of the accidents, the driver fell asleep at the wheel just before the accident. In another 17% of the crashes, the driver either blacked out at the wheel due to drug or alcohol use, or suffered a medical emergency like diabetic shock, seizure or heart attack.

Published on: October 7, 2015

Risk Factors for a Drowsy Driving Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Almost every motorist at some point or another driven while being too tired. This includes driving in a state in which they were frequently yawning, or nodding off to sleep while driving.

Drowsy driving is a silent killer on American roads, contributing to as many as one in six fatal accidents and thousands of injuries. However, there are no reliable ways to measure drowsiness, and motorists are very rarely likely to admit that they were indeed fatigued while driving. Therefore, the actual number of drowsy driving accidents is potentially much higher than estimated.

If you are driving, and notice yourself doing the following, it is time to pull over somewhere safe and take a break.

Published on: January 21, 2015

Drowsy Driving Is More Dangerous Than Many Believe

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Sleep deprivation is far more common in the American population than many people realize.Unfortunately, far too many sleep-deprived American adults and teenagers don’t think twice about getting behind the wheel when they’re completely fatigued. According to statistics, 50% of adult drivers say that they have operated a motor vehicle in the past year while completely exhausted.

Many motorists who would never dream of driving after consuming alcoholic beverages fail to recognize the potential for disaster when reflexes slow due to drowsiness.According to one study recently published in the journal Sleep, people who suffer from sleep difficulties or sleep disorders are twice as likely to die in a car accident.One of the more common sleep disorders is insomnia, but people who have trouble falling or staying asleep may also suffer from another disorder called sleep apnea.

In addition to failing to recognize how serious drowsy driving is, many drivers do not understand how to prevent it. According to one recent study, most motorists who want to remain awake roll-down the window, splash water on their faces, or turn music volume up to prevent themselves from falling asleep. According to the study, those tactics are ineffective, and the only method that really works to prevent drowsy driving is taking a nap. It makes sense to pull over somewhere safe, and take a break for at least 30 minutes to feel refreshed. It should be noted that caffeine is a stop gap measure which can help a person remain alert, but its effectiveness tends to be short term.

Published on: June 3, 2013

Fatigued Driving Causes More Fatal Car Accidents Than Earlier Believed

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Drowsy driving is one of the most underestimated causes of accidents, especially since it’s difficult to determine exactly how many motorists dozed off at the wheel just before the car wreck.However, one fact is clear.These accidents are much more widespread and common than believed, and the number of people being killed in these crashes is much higher than the official estimates.A new study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute seems to confirm that fact.

The naturalistic study which focused on 100 cars involved in accidents, found that driving under the influence of fatigue contributed to as many as 20% of all accidents.Earlier estimates had pegged that number at just 2-3% of all accidents.

The naturalistic study is believed to be one of the first times that this major accident factor has been studied in depth, and in a naturalistic environment.The study found that drivers 18- 20 years of age had some of the highest risks of being involved in drowsy driving accidents, accounting for more accidents than any other age group.

Published on: May 8, 2012

Up to a Quarter of All American Adults May Be at Risk of Drowsy Driving Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new study indicates that lack of sleep and insomnia are huge health problems among American adults. According to the study which has been published in the medical journal The Lancet, as many as a quarter of all adults are not happy with the amount of sleep they get each night. In fact, approximately 10% of adults meet the criteria for full-fledged insomnia. The Atlanta car accident lawyers at our firm unfortunately see far too many serious vehicle accidents due to drowsy or distracted driving.

Researchers based their study on an analysis of previous scientific databases, and findings from major studies conducted on sleep over the past 5 years. They found several factors that indicated we need to increase awareness about the widespread nature of insomnia, and spotlight the consequences of insomnia.

Insomnia is associated with a number of health disorders. According to a report published in 2002, persons who suffer from insomnia are about twice as likely to suffer from congestive heart failure compared to persons who have healthy and normal sleep patterns. Additionally, these persons will be approximately 5 times as likely to suffer from depression or anxiety-related disorders. Persons who suffer from insomnia, according to the researchers, may also be at a high risk for substance abuse, and psychological disorders.

Published on: August 8, 2011

Investigation Indicates Carroll County School Bus Driver in Fatal Bus Accident Was Drowsy

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has obtained a Georgia’s State Patrol investigative report into the fatal school bus accident in Carroll County in 2010 that resulted in the wrongful death of a student.The investigative report blames drowsy driving by the school bus driver, and also indicates that students on the bus were nervous about the bus driver’s driving abilities.

The accident occurred in October 2010, when a group of fourteen high school students were traveling from Temple High School to a vocational school.Suddenly, the bus veered to the right of the road and into a ditch.It then overturned, leaving more than a dozen students with personal injuries.A seventeen-year-old student on the bus was killed.He was partially ejected from the bus when it flipped over, and was trapped underneath the bus.

The driver of the bus was a trainee who was scheduled to take his test to become a full-time driver the next day.He had not completed six hours of required training. The investigative report seemed to indicate that the driver had a record of unsafe driving, and students on the bus had been afraid for their safety on the day of the accident.Several students also mentioned to investigators that the way he was driving, especially over dirt roads, was very unsafe.This week, he was sentenced to a year of probation and fined $600 for failure to stay in his lane.

Published on: December 20, 2010

New System Could Prevent Drowsy Driving-Related Auto Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There is no doubt that drowsy driving causes a significant number of auto accidents and, therefore, is a serious problem on Atlanta streets. However, it has been ignored as an accident factor not just by legislators, but also by law enforcement officers who investigate auto accidents. According to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation, as many as one in six serious or fatal car accidents is linked to drowsy driving.

Those statistics released by the National Sleep Foundation earlier this year made everyone sit up and take notice. However, as Atlanta car accident attorneys, we have been awake to the dangers of drowsy driving for years now.That’s why it was encouraging to read about new technology to prevent drowsy driving.

A new device manufactured by a Danish company acts as an automated drowsy driving test system inside your car to let you know when it’s time for you to take a break. The device is called Anti-Sleep Pilot, and it’s manufactured by Denmark-based APS Technology. The device develops a profile of the driver based on a number of questions, including whether the driver is on any medications, or whether he’s a shift-based worker. This profile is stored in the system, and when the driver is operating the vehicle, the system analyzes this data along with other information to develop a test.

Published on: November 17, 2010

Fatal Car Accidents Linked to Drowsy Driving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Study Indicates One in Six Fatal Accidents Linked to Drowsy Driving

It’s time to wake up to the serious dangers posed by motorists who drive when they’re in a sleepy or tired state.A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that one in every six fatal auto accidents in the US is caused by a drowsy motorist.In fact, these drivers likely account for approximately 17% of all auto accidents in the country.

No Atlanta car accident attorney would deny that those are sobering statistics.You don’t want to share the road with a motorist who is in serious danger of simply dozing off at the wheel.Yet, more than 41% of the respondents in the AAA study admitted that they had driven while they were very sleepy, at least once in their lifetime.Even worse, 27% of the respondents in the study admitted that over the previous month, they had driven while they were so sleepy they could barely see straight.

Published on: May 23, 2009

Drowsy Driving Blamed for Washington County Tractor Trailer Accident Fatality

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A man from Sandersville in Washington County died last week when his truck crashed into a tractor trailer. According to Georgia State Patrol, the victim David Perry Williams was driving a pickup and following the 18 wheeler. As the tractor trailer slowed to make a turn, the pickup struck the rear of the trailer, killing Williams instantly.

Georgia State Patrol troopers believe that Williams likely fell asleep at the wheel. There was no indication at the accident scene that he had attempted to stop the pickup. Williams wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, but considering the massive impact of the crash, troopers believe that a seat belt wouldn’t have helped. According to witnesses at the scene of the crash, Williams had just finished his third shift at work, and was on his way home.

It appears quite likely that Williams was suffering from a severe lack of sleep because of his hectic work schedule. We should be as concerned about car accidents that occur when a motorist falls asleep at the wheel, but somehow, as New Jersey personal injury lawyer Scott Grossman says, drowsy driving is not taken as seriously in the country as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Published on: November 12, 2007

Sleeping Truck Drivers Cause Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

November 11, 2007

Last week the Center for Disease Control (CDC) celebrated Drowsy Driver Prevention Week.Interestingly, in a poll conducted as part of their education campaign, 47 percent of commercial truck drivers admitted to having fallen asleep while driving a truck during some point in their career.

In a study conducted of the sleep patterns of long haul truck drivers and printed in the New England Journal of Medicine, drivers obtained between 4 and 5 hours of verifiable sleep during the course of driving ten-hour days in a five-day period.Most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.Thus, fatigue and sleep deprivation constitute significant safety issues for long haul truck drivers.