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A Drowsy Driver is Considered to be Impaired

Drowsy driving has become such a big problem that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research sponsored a report that looked into ways to prevent this phenomenon.

Tired drivers are considered to be impaired, as their ability to react to hazards is significantly affected. According to the report the “critical aspects of driving impairment associated with sleepiness are reaction time, vigilance, attention, and information processing.”

Determining the best way to catch drowsy drivers to prevent car accidents is tricky, because there is no test that quantifies sleepiness. It is easy to detect when a driver has consumed too much alcohol, but unfortunately the same thing is not true for drowsy drivers. Usually driver fatigue is identified as a factor in an accident from inferential evidence. Investigators will look into the time of day the crash occurred, whether the driver was by himself or herself and if the driver attempted to avoid the collision.

The risk of injury in a car accident caused by drowsiness is high when the driver is experiencing sleep loss, taking sedation medications or has consumed alcohol. Past research has shown that young people, ages 16 to 29, shift workers and people with untreated sleep apnea and narcolepsy are at a higher risk of being involved in a drowsiness-related auto accident.

The report did recommend some ways to avoid a car accident caused by drowsiness. These recommendations include the following:

• Getting enough sleep
• Avoiding alcohol when tired
• Limiting driving between midnight and 6 AM
• Stop driving if you become too tired
  

If you have been injured in a Southern California car accident caused by a drowsy driver, you may be entitled to compensation. For more information, contact Steinberg & Spencer Injury Lawyers at 1-800-350-8888. The Los Angeles accident attorneys at our law firm represent cases in Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County.

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