Drowsy Driving Statistics
Drowsy driving can happen any time, day or night. As much as 10 percent of all crashes can be attributed at least in part to fatigued drivers, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Nearly 70 percent of those accidents happen during daylight hours, the group concluded in a recent study, with another 25 percent happening during dark hours and the remaining crashes at dawn or dusk.
Certain groups of drivers are particularly prone to nodding off behind the wheel or driving while fatigued, according to the National Sleep Foundation. They include:
- Younger drivers
- Commercial drivers
- Shift workers
- People with untreated sleep disorders
- Business travelers
No matter who causes the crash, any Denver fatigued driver accident lawyer will tell you that these collisions can have life-altering consequences.
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Why Sleep Driving Accidents Are Especially Dangerous
Attention and reaction are a critical part of safe driving, especially in dense urban areas like Denver and in winter months when snow, ice and poor visibility make driving treacherous.
Drowsy and fatigued drivers simply cannot react to what is going on around them in the time needed to avoid a crash. Worse, a driver who falls asleep behind the wheel – even if only for a moment – cannot tap the brakes, change lanes or even simply swerve to avoid stalled traffic ahead.
Because reaction time is either limited or non-existent in many drowsy driving accidents, these collisions tend to be more severe. Fatigue also increases the chance of head-on accidents, some of the most catastrophic crashes, when a drowsy driver drifts into oncoming traffic.
Proving Liability in with a Denver Fatigued Driver Accident Lawyer
Anyone who is injured in a car accident in Colorado has the right to seek money damages from those responsible. In order to do so your Denver fatigued driver accident lawyer will need to prove negligence, or that another driver did not live up to the standard of care expected of Colorado motorists.
Drivers are generally required to operate their vehicles in a reasonably safe way and to refrain from dangerous activity behind the wheel, which means maintaining appropriate speeds, complying with traffic laws and avoiding behavior like aggressive, distracted or drunk driving.
It also means staying off of the road completely if you are fatigued. A driver who feels tired, starts nodding off or shows other signs of fatigue is putting his or her own life at risk, as well as the safety of everyone else on the road.
Your attorney at Levine Law will evaluate the circumstances of your accident to determine if the at-fault driver was distracted or drowsy and if it contributed to the accident and your injuries.
Speak with a Denver Drowsy Driver Accident Lawyer
At Levine Law, our firm guides people through the legal process for seeking compensation with experience and personal attention.
We are pleased to serve clients throughout Colorado, including in Denver, Colorado Springs, Ft. Collins and Loveland. Call us at 303-333-8000 or contact us online to speak with a Denver fatigued driver accident lawyer.
