Recently, two adults and two children from New Orleans perished in a car accident in Crystal Springs, Mississippi.  The Mississippi Highway Patrol reports that the driver fell asleep behind the wheel just before the accident, which occurred at about 3:15 a.m. on Interstate 55 in Copiah County.  Authorities believe the 2014 Hyundai vehicle left the interstate as the driver fell asleep, hit a tree, and then caught on fire.  The driver was a 22 year old woman traveling with a 19 year old front seat passenger and two young children, ages 18 months and 4 months.  All were visiting the state from New Orleans.

The Dangers of Tired Driving

According to Drowsydriving.org, an initiative of the National Sleep Foundation, 60 percent of all adult drivers polled, or at least 158 million people, report feeling drowsy while driving in the past year.  A third of these drivers, or 103 million people, actually fell asleep behind the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drowsy driving in 2013 caused at least 72,000 crashes, 800 fatalities, and 44,000 injuries.  Researchers believe that the true number of drowsy driving deaths could be far higher, as this is an underreported cause of accidents.  Unlike driving while intoxicated, there is no sure test to determine whether a driver is extremely tired.  As such, many accidents that were likely due to tired driving are classified as having a different cause.

Who is at Risk for Driving Tired?

Drowsy driving accidents occur most commonly among younger drivers, particularly men, young adults with children, and shift workers.  Here is an in-depth look at who is at risk of a tired driving crash:

• Adults between the ages of 18 and 29 are most likely to be involved in a tired driving accident.
• Men are more likely to drive while tired and also to fall asleep behind the wheel while driving.
• Adults with children are about 10 percent more likely to drive drowsy than childless adults.
• Sleep deprivation greatly increases your risk of being involved in an accident, and the less sleep you get, the more likely you are to be in an accident.
• Shift workers are at risk of tired driving accidents because they are likely to drive tired more than once a month.
• People who sleep six or seven hours or less are twice as likely to be injured in a car accident as those who obtain eight or more hours of sleep.
• Being awake for 18 hours actually produces characteristics similar to driving while intoxicated, causing drivers to lack reaction time, awareness, perception, and much more.

If you have been injured in an accident and believe the other driver may have been driving drowsy, consult with an automobile accident attorney as soon as possible.  Your attorney can assist in investigating the accident and uncovering evidence of the other driver’s negligent behavior.

Barrett Law PLLC: Dedicated Representation for Car Accident Victims Across Mississippi

Driver fatigue can result in catastrophic accidents.  If you have been injured in an automobile accident due to driver fatigue or other driver negligence, contact the Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC.  Our prominent Mississippi law firm has assisted injured vehicle accident victims for over 75 years.  Allow our zealous attorney team to fight for your full recovery following any traffic accident.  Do not delay in seeking legal assistance as you have a limited time within which to file a claim after your injury.  Call us today at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule your free initial consultation.