More than likely, every time you get on the road, you share it with someone who really shouldn’t be driving due to lack of sleep. On some occasions, that person may even be you. Most people don’t get enough sleep these days.
Sometimes your daily obligations may not leave much time for a good night’s sleep. In fact, in some cases, people seem to compete to see who gets the least amount of sleep and the most caffeine in order to function while at work. As the pace of our society has increased, the number of hours we slumber each night seems to have decreased.
Studies say these people risk driving drowsy more than others
While everyone could be guilty of drowsy driving at any time, some groups of people tend to do so more often than the average driver:
- People who work the night shift or rotate their shifts, such as police officers, doctors, nurses and truck drivers, just to name a few. The risk appears to be greatest as they drive home from work, which may be when you are getting on the road to go to work.
- Men ranging in age from their teens to their 30s tend to drive drowsy more often as well. The accidents they tend to be involved in usually occur from 11 p.m. through 8 a.m.
- Someone with an undiagnosed case of narcolepsy or sleep apnea could pose a risk of drowsy driving. These individuals tend to feel sleepy all day long.
- The driver in the vehicle next to yours may have taken a medication that causes drowsiness, but he or she may have chosen to drive anyway.
You may be among many people who believe they have to drive regardless of whether they are sleepy. In fact, may people don’t think they are dangerous. After all, they aren’t drunk, high or falling asleep at the wheel.
Facts about drowsy drivers
Drowsy drivers share certain commonalities when it comes to accidents:
- A drowsy driver may not even attempt to slow down, brake or otherwise avoid an accident.
- A drowsy driver may veer off the road completely.
- Many drowsy driving accidents involve excessive speeds on major roadways such as highways.
- Accidents involving drowsy drivers tend to occur in the early morning, late at night or in the early afternoon.
Of course, a drowsy driving accident can occur at any time of day, on any type of roadway at any speed. The above are based on what the data tells researchers, even though it may be incomplete, since drowsy driving accidents more than likely occur more often than anyone realizes. Their victims may suffer serious injuries or lose their lives. The fact is that drowsy driving puts you and everyone else on Louisiana’s roadways in danger.
