When was the last time you asked someone how they were feeling, and they replied with “I’m feeling a little tired?” The chances of you saying “recently” are rather high as most individuals today are overworked and sleep deprived which leads to them feeling fatigued throughout the day. According to the National Safety Council, while adults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night, 30% have reported that they get in less than six hours of rest. This means many people today are not only going into work and completing their tasks feeling drowsy, but they are also getting behind the wheel of their vehicle impaired.
The reality is, driving while fatigued is now being compared to driving drunk. Just like driving while intoxicated, you are unable to pay attention to the road and your ability to react quickly to certain situations declines. When you drive drowsy, you risk nodding off and either swerving off the road or even into the lane next to you where another driver is traveling.
Now, although many tend to brush off this feeling of being fatigued and keep on tugging, the point is, it is important that we recognize the issue as a serious one and begin addressing it. The fact is, not only does being tired affect your ability to drive attentively, but it also can become a hazard to your health. Did you know that “chronic sleep-deprivation [can cause] depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other illnesses?”
Therefore, if you are ready to combat the issue and become more informed on it, read on below for some valuable information that can be shared with your employees (if you are an employer), with family, and even with friends.
- If you are someone who works at night or the hours in which you work are irregular, it is imperative that you make time in your schedule to get in your seven to nine hours of rest. The NSC states that “more than 37% of employees are sleep deprived” which places them more at risk of engaging in a work-related accident. Not only does a lack of sleep threaten the safety of a worker while on the clock, but it also puts them at risk when they must drive back home following the end of their shift.
- To help put it in more perspective, “losing two hours of sleep has the same effect on driving as having three beers.” Therefore, it is essential you get in the recommended amount of rest.
- When you operate your vehicle on only four to five hours of rest, you are four times as likely to engage in a crash.
- 6,4000 people die from driving drowsy each year.
- Back in January, a veterinarian died in a drowsy driving accident after her vehicle was struck by a man who admitted he fell asleep at the wheel [Source: Fauquier Now]. Sadly, thousands of other accidents similar to this one occur each year causing innocent people to lose their lives or suffer from such severe injuries that they impact their quality of life.
Now, with the holidays quickly approaching, you can expect for things to become a little more hectic, however, despite the plans you must make or the long hours you must put in at work, never should you jeopardize your health or safety by not getting in enough rest.
Were you recently involved in a drowsy driving crash?
If you are the victim of a drowsy driving accident that transpired in Jackson, MS and are looking to obtain justice for the damages that have resulted from the wreck, contact Jackson, MS car accident attorney William E. Ballard. At Ballard Law, PLLC, we are familiar with the devastating effects a car wreck can have on a victim as well as their family which is why we are prepared to help you hold the negligent driver accountable as well as recover the compensation you deserve.
To schedule a consultation with attorney William E. Ballard to find out more about how our office can help you, call us at 769-572-5111 or email us at [email protected].
Ballard Law, PLLC. can also be reached at:
108 S. President Street
Jackson, MS 39201
769-572-5111
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