The numbers, and the consequences, are nothing less than staggering. Latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) states that drowsy driving leads to thousands of automobile crashes each year, as sleepy drivers battle with lowered reaction time, attention, and information processing.
A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that drowsy driving “is a factor each year in as many as 7,500 fatal motor vehicle crashes (approximately 25%) in the United States.” As reported in the Legal Examiner, proving sleepiness behind the wheel remains difficult, victims of drowsy-driving related auto accident injuries may still be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit in an attempt to recover damages.
“The CDC states, however, that the connection between drowsy driving and fatal crashes has been difficult to pinpoint,” writes Eric T. Chaffin in The Legal Examiner. “They based their conclusions on survey questions from over 92,000 people in ten states and Puerto Rico. Results showed that four percent of respondents had fallen asleep while driving during the previous month, though the actual figures may be much higher, considering many people may not have admitted to doing so.”
Source: CDC
