Drowsy Driving Causes Many Fatal Phoenix Car Accidents

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on November 22, 2011

As Phoenix fatal car accident lawyers, we know how important it is to stay awake and stay aware while driving.

All too often, we see car accidents caused by drivers who fell asleep at the wheel or weren’t alert enough to make split-second decisions required while driving. According to a recent report from AAA Arizona, one in six fatal crashes are caused by drowsy drivers.

Phoenix Car Accident and Drowsy Driving Statistics

According to the report, one third of drivers interviewed admitted to driving while drowsy. The report also claims that driving drowsy is like driving drunk because the driver’s reaction time is delayed and judgment is impaired. The study also shows that:

• One-third of drivers admitted to being so sleepy that they had to struggle to keep their eyes open while driving.
• One in 10 drivers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel within the past year.
• More than half of the drivers see drowsy driving as a serious threat to safety.

Avoid Car Accidents Caused By Drowsy Driving

Here are a few tips to help you stay safe on the road and avoid driving drowsy.

• Don’t start a long trip without plenty of sleep.
• Pull over if you become sleepy, or switch with another driver.
• Don’t travel during hours when you normally sleep.
• Take a break every couple of hours.
• Talk to a passenger to stay awake.

Finally, AAA Arizona says that caffeine doesn’t always work to keep drivers awake. They caution drivers against relying on its effects and that sleeping and driving when you aren’t drowsy is better than drinking cups of coffee to try to stay awake. However, even if you stop yourself from driving drowsy, it isn’t always possible to stop other drivers from driving dangerously.

Contact a Phoenix Personal Injury Attorney

A Phoenix personal injury attorney at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. can help you if you have been injured by a drowsy driver. An experienced attorney knows how to determine whether the driver was drowsy during the time of the accident by checking the road for swerve or skid marks, talking to witnesses and passengers in the driver’s car, and recording data about how long the driver had been on the road and how many miles he or she had traveled without taking a break. The best attorneys put together this information to hold the at-fault driver responsible for the victim’s injuries and damages. The team at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. has obtained large settlements for their clients who were victims of drowsy drivers. Contact us for a free consultation at (602) 457-6222.