It is a silent killer on our roads, and yet, Missouri car accident lawyers find very little attention paid to the fact that thousands of people are killed every year in accidents caused by fatigued or drowsy drivers. The National Sleep Foundation wants to change that. Next week, the organization will mark National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week from November 6- November 12. The aim of this commemoration is to draw more attention to the risks from driving while a person is in a drowsy state.
Every year, drowsy driving accidents cause more than 1,600 deaths. An additional 70,000 people are injured in these accidents. In spite of this, few people take the threat from drowsy or fatigued driving seriously. While drunk driving, or even distracted driving to a certain extent, are frowned upon by many people, few motorists worry about the dangers from driving while sleepy. In fact, according to one survey, approximately one third of drivers have driven while they’re in a very tired state.
A person who is driving while sleepy is likely to miss important traffic signs. There’s a reason why drowsy driving is often linked to wrong-way driving accidents. These are typically high-impact accidents that cause serious injuries or instantaneous deaths. A car being driven by a drowsy driver can veer off the lane, and crash into another vehicle broaching from the opposite direction.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, many motorists who are driving while drowsy may not even realize that they have dozed off. It is possible for a person to slip into a period of micro sleep that lasts for between 3 and 4 seconds. That is enough time for a vehicle to collide with another vehicle or a stationary object.
Douglas R. Horn, Lead Attorney of The Horn Law Firm, concentrates his practice on representing victims of car, truck, and motorcycle accidents. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Horn has built an exceptional track record of maximizing recovery for clients who have suffered a life-changing injury due to a distracted, impaired, or reckless driver.
As a natural extension of his law practice, Mr. Horn devotes a significant part of his work to driver safety issues. He created and leads Drive By Example, a driver’s safety campaign designed to influence drivers to exercise the highest degree of care while driving. He also heads Rural Road Ready, a campaign specifically targeted to improve rural road safety.
