Many drivers report that they’ve gotten behind the wheel when they’re drowsy, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a safe activity. It’s imperative that all drivers ensure they’re properly rested. Drivers who go too long without sleep can suffer from effects that mimic impaired driving.
Drivers who haven’t slept in 20 hours have similar effects to someone who is legally drunk with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08%. Even going 18 hours without sleep is dangerous because driving abilities at that point mimic someone who has a BAC of .05%.
What are the effects of fatigued driving?
Lack of sleep can affect drivers in a variety of ways. They may start to experience slow reaction times or difficulty with motor skills that make it harder to keep a vehicle in the lane of travel. Some drivers start to have eyesight changes, such as blurry or double vision.
Another hazard of fatigued driving is the risk of microsleeps. These are short periods of sleep that can last a few seconds, but even those short periods are dangerous. For example, if a driver is going 55 miles per hour and dozes for five seconds, the vehicle goes the length of a football field without being properly controlled.
Even if you’re well rested when you get behind the wheel, there’s a chance that a fatigued driver on the road may slam into your vehicle. This can lead to significant injuries and property damage. You may opt to pursue a compensation claim to recover the financial damages from the crash. Your time to do this is limited, so be sure to act quickly. It may be beneficial to have someone on your side who can handle the legal matter while you take care of recovering from your injuries.