Every driver has had times when they’ve felt tired behind the wheel, but feeling tired at the end of a busy day is different than feeling drowsy. The term “drowsy driving” refers to being on the verge of sleep behind the wheel. Studies show that drowsy driving has an impact on the driver that’s similar to drunk driving impairment and includes the additional risk of actually falling asleep behind the wheel. When a drowsy driver causes an accident, the impacts can be devastating for semi-truck accident victims in Columbia and their families, with consequences to their physical and financial well-being that affect all aspects of their lives.
Why Do Drowsy Driving Accidents Happen in South Carolina?
Today’s busy lives leave little time for sleep. Most adults work one or more jobs as well as caring for their families. Nearly 14% of adults report feeling exhausted most or every day in the past 3 months.
Drowsy driving accidents are preventable when a driver recognizes the signs that their level of exhaustion has escalated into near-sleep, yet there were nearly 700 known drowsy driving accidents in 2022—a number that’s likely underreported. According to Sleep Foundation Research, about half of those surveyed admitted to having driven while drowsy, and about one in 25 drivers said they’d dozed off behind the wheel at least once in the last month. Drowsy drivers have a level of impairment equal to the legal limit of blood alcohol concentration (BAC). An excessively fatigued driver doesn’t acquire the over-confident effects associated with drinking, but faces a higher risk of falling asleep.
Recognizing the Signs of Drowsy Driving In Yourself or Other Drivers on the Road
Feeling tired is normal and typically safe as long as you aren’t on the verge of sleep. Signs of excessive sleepiness are a red flag that it’s time to get off the road. Common signs of drowsy driving include the following:
- Frequent yawning and eye-rubbing
- Blurred vision
- Heavy eyes
- Frequent blinking
- Inability to remember the last few miles driven or making choices at intersections you’ve passed
- Wandering thoughts that begin to resemble twilight sleep
- Hitting the rumble strips on the side of the road and jerking back into your lane
- Nodding your head and then jerking awake
Signs of another driver’s drowsiness include straying from their lane and jerking back into it, tailgating, straddling the center line, or slowing and accelerating.
The Dangers of Drowsy Driving
When an accident occurs due to another driver’s excessive fatigue it may cause injuries to others as well as themselves in a collision. Common types of drowsy driving accidents in Georgia and elsewhere include:
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on collisions
- T-bone accidents in intersections
- Sideswipes
- Forced roadway departures
- Collisions with obstacles like fences, trees, or buildings
Drowsy drivers also pose a serious risk to pedestrians and bicyclists.
Drowsy Driving Liability In Car Accident Claims
Injuries from accidents caused by a drowsy driver are often severe because the dozing driver may not take any evasive actions like braking or swerving. Under North Carolina’s contributory negligence system, a drowsy driver who causes a collision is liable for damages to the victim, including property damage, medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering.
How Can a North Carolina Car Accident Attorney Help?
Despite clear liability, insurance companies may dispute the claim by attempting to assign a portion of blame to the injury victim. Instead of settling a claim for far less than it’s worth, call the North Carolina car accident attorneys who get results at the Marc Brown Law Firm.