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The dangers of drowsy driving

On Behalf of | Dec 7, 2019 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

You know full well how dangerous drunk or distracted drivers in Burgaw can be. However, you likely assume that most others avoid such practices the same way that you do, thus reducing the risk that you might encounter such a driver on the road. There may indeed be some truth in that assumption, yet that does not mean that you are not at risk from those who may be driving irresponsibly. Take drowsy drivers, for example. One probably does not intend to endanger you and others by getting behind the wheel after only a few hours of sleep, yet their body’s natural need for rest makes such a decision a poor one. Indeed, many come to us here at the Law Office of Zachary S. Rivenbark amazed out how prevalent drowsy driving actually is.

Per information shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowsy driving is reported as being the cause of more than 72,000 car accidents nationwide every year. Yet most law enforcement officials believe that such incidents are drastically underreported, as few actually want to admit that they fell asleep while at the wheel of their cars.

How, then, are you to know if a driver that hit you might have been drowsy at the time (after all, a collision is likely to jar them awake)? Look for subtle cues, such as them sharing that they work odd hours, or that they had only had a few hours of sleep the night before. The time of the accident could be an indicator as well, as drowsy driving accidents are more likely to occur in the late night or early morning hours.

You can discover more information on assigning liability for car accidents by continuing to explore our site.