Columbia Drowsy/Fatigued Driving Accidents Lawyer
Drowsy driving is dangerous driving. Period. Yet, millions of drivers take to the streets every day, and choose to operate multi-ton vehicles at 55 miles an hour during rush hour. Driving fatigued or drowsy means that a driver has slower reaction time, poor judgment, blurred vision, and slow motor controls. Tragically, drowsy drivers end up causing countless collisions, sending other road users, such as yourself, to the hospital. The Columbia drowsy and fatigued driving accident attorneys at Simmons Law Firm can help you recover the damages that you are owed.
How to Spot a Drowsy/Fatigued Driver
A driver does not have to fall asleep at the wheel to cause a crash. Simply driving in a sleep-deprived or drowsy state is hazardous enough. Spotting a drowsy driver can be easy if you notice the following signs, though avoiding them is sometimes impossible:
- Inability to drive in the center of the lane;
- Failure to remember to turn their headlights on during dim hours;
- Excessive tailgating;
- Driving far below the speed limit;
- Driving far over the speed limit;
- Failure to use turn signals; and
- Driving on the shoulder of the road.
Many of these driving characteristics are the same as drunk or distracted drivers. Regardless of the reason for the crash, the important thing to establish in a personal injury claim is fault.
Drowsy Driver Crashes
Oddly, we as Americans often pride ourselves on how little sleep we get, as if it is some type of badge of honor. According to Family Safety and Health, Americans get just five and a half hours of sleep per night, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least seven hours a night, and even more for teen drivers and drivers over the age of 60. Depending on the degree of sleep deprivation, driving drowsy or fatigued is akin to driving with a blood alcohol content above 0.08 percent, which is above the legal threshold.
Drowsy/Fatigued Truck Driver Crashes
One of the most fatigued- and drowsy-driving-prone user groups on the road is truckers. Long haul truckers routinely flout the federal rules regarding hours per day driven and required breaks or rest periods. To determine if a truck driver was driving drowsy at the time of the crash, it can be a benefit to subpoena their driving logs, which will reveal if they have broken the 11-hour day limit or one of the other regulations. Unfortunately some of those federal safety regulations were just reduced in 2020, meaning that the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Contact a Columbia Drowsy / Fatigued Driving Attorneys Today
Drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as drunk driving, and just like drunk drivers, drowsy drivers have the choice to either not get behind the wheel, or pull over and rest once they notice their degree of fatigue. If you were injured by a drowsy or fatigued driver, you can hold them fully responsible for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. To take action today, call the Columbia drowsy driving attorneys at Simmons Law Firm at 803-779-4600 to schedule a free consultation.
