Kirkland Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer 

Drowsy Driving: A Silent Threat Comparable to DUI

AAA conducted a survey on drowsy driving and found some harrowing statistics:

• More than 40% of drivers on our roads admit that they have fallen asleep or nodded off while driving.
• About 10% of drivers said they have driven when they were “so sleepy they had a hard time keeping their eyes open.”
• About 15% of fatal crashes each year involve at least one drowsy driver.

Most of us know better than to get behind the wheel after we’ve had several drinks but being a little sleepy may not trigger the same kind of red flags. You may think it’s okay to drive and that if you get tired, you’ll just pull over for some fresh air or stop for a cup of coffee. This expectation is unrealistic because driving while tired has similar effects as driving drunk, as numerous safety groups agree.

When you are exhausted behind the wheel, you are likely to experience:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after you’ve been awake 18 hours, you’re operating your vehicle as if you have a blood alcohol content of .05%. After 24 hours without sleep, you’re similar to blood alcohol of .10%, which is above the legal limit in every state. Mixing alcohol and drugs with exhaustion is even more dangerous, too.

Compensation for Distracted Driving Victims

The compensation that might be available to you could include compensatory damages like:

You might also be eligible to receive punitive damages for further compensation. A court can approve punitive damages that are paid to the plaintiff as another way of punishing the defendant. Punitive damages are rare, but they are used most often when the defendant exhibited egregious, unforgivable negligence, which could include falling asleep while speeding down the highway, for example.