Car accidents cause thousands of deaths and injuries every year. While many accidents are due to negligent drivers, others can happen when a driver is drowsy. Although a driver can be overtired at any time of day, the bulk of these accidents happen late at night or during the early morning hours. Here are some things you should know before you get behind the wheel while drowsy:
Why Would a Driver Drive While Overtired?
There are a lot of reasons why someone would drive when they are drowsy. Many people do not realize how tired they actually are until they begin driving. If you have been in a busy or loud atmosphere prior to getting behind the wheel, your body is experiencing a rush of adrenaline, which presents with a very energetic and awake feeling. Once the adrenaline begins to wear off, you will realize how tired you actually are.
Other drivers simply believe they can make it a short distance home when they are tired. It is often a bad judgment call that leads to accidents related to drowsiness.
What Can You Do to Avoid an Accident?
The best thing you can do is to recognize when you are too tired to drive. If you know you are too tired, consider finding an alternate way to your next location. You can take a taxi, a rideshare service, or have a friend drive for you. If nothing else works, you can take a quick nap before you have to drive anywhere.
If you are on any medication that causes you to become tired, do not take it before you drive. You should wait until you get home and ready for bed before you take any medication that could cause you to fall asleep.
If you notice that you are tired all the time and are worried you could fall asleep behind the wheel, you need to talk to your doctor. You should also try to adjust your sleep schedule to ensure you get adequate sleep each night so that you do not risk getting into an accident that can hurt you or someone else. You can not only become injured yourself, but you can also face legal dangers if you cause an accident.
If you are about to start a long drive, do not do so unless you have had enough rest beforehand. If you are not leaving on your drive until the middle of the day, you may even want to take a nap at some point before you start driving. This way, you will be adequately rested and will not risk getting overtired behind the wheel.
If you were involved in an accident due to drowsy driving, you can contact an auto accident attorney in your area for legal advice.
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