Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Our Chicago car accident lawyers were not surprised to learn that a recent AAA Foundation study of the sleeping habits of American drivers found that more than 25 percent of those polled admitted to driving despite being so sleepy they could hardly keep their eyes open.

Or that driver fatigue has been linked to almost 17 percent of fatal car accidents and just more than 13 percent of car accidents involving injury.

Nor were we surprised to hear that teen drivers, younger drivers and men aged 26 and younger are the most likely to drive while drowsy than any other group. Also particularly at risk are shift workers, commercial drivers, or those who have irregular work, academic or social schedules, the Occupational Health & Safety reports.

Curiously enough, AAA reports, one in four drivers who said they’d fallen asleep while driving did so between the hours of noon and 5 p.m., and nearly 60 percent of them said they had been driving for less than an hour when they dozed off. The bottom line – fatigue can rear its ugly head at anytime and is far more likely to strike younger more inexperienced drivers who are additionally less likely to recognize the symptoms of fatigue or the toll it is taking on their judgment and perception.

This week is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week and, with more than 5,500 deaths linked to drowsy driving each year, we urge you to talk to friends and family about the dangers.

The National Sleep Foundation hopes to help younger drivers avoid a fall-asleep car accident with a few simple do-and-don’t tips:

~ DON’T drive if you have taken medication that can cause drowsiness or consumed any amount of alcohol.

~DON’T rely on the radio, or a shot of cold air from a rolled-down window to keep you alert and awake.

~ DON’T discount the importance of at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep. (With that said, 7 to 9 hours is preferred).

~ DO recognize that chronic inadequate sleep accumulates a “sleep debt” that can overwhelm you unexpectedly and without warning.

~ DO recognize that sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on how we perform during our awakened life. It is estimated that fatigue impacts work performance to the tune of $18 billion in lost productivity each year.

~ DO embrace the benefits of a dose of caffeine and a 20-minute nap.