Even if a drowsy driver is able to stay awake at the wheel, drowsiness impairs driving skills. Drowsy driving is dangerous because it slows reaction time, makes drivers less attentive and impairs decision-making skills. All of which can lead to a crash.
In Berkeley County, a 42-year-old man was killed as a result of an accident that involved drowsy driving.
It happened on Interstate 26 near mile marker 188 early on a Saturday morning. Reports indicate that the driver of an SUV fell asleep at the wheel and drove into the median. The SUV then flipped and hit a tree.
The accident killed John Alexander Scott III of Summerville and injured the driver and another passenger. One of the passengers had to be airlifted to Medical University Hospital. The other was transported by ambulance. The crash has been ruled accidental.
Recently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report that revealed 4.2 percent of drivers claim to have fallen asleep at the wheel within the previous 30-day-period of the study. That breaks down to about one in every 25 drivers that admit to dosing off in the past 30 days.
In 2009, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that approximately 2.5 percent of all fatal crashes that year involved a drowsy driver. The CDC estimates a higher number and suggests that as many as 33 percent of all fatal crashes has drowsiness as a contributing factor.
Drivers need to be cautious when they are overly tired. Some reports have indicated that driving drowsy is as dangerous as driving drunk. It is never a good idea to get behind the wheel when you are extremely tired.
There are many different types of accidents that are caused by someone else’s negligence. Rear end collisions, rollovers, distracted drivers, drowsy drivers and drunk drivers are just a few types. Some accidents are caused by mechanical failures and some caused by unavoidable things like a tire blowout. All types of accidents are handled differently regarding who is responsible and how negligence is established.
Howell & Christmas have more than 30 years of combined legal experience representing people who have been seriously injured in the Charleston area. We have the dedication and knowledge to help you recover losses suffered as the result of someone else’s negligence. Call us today for a free consultation.
