The Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) has focused its’ mission in recent years on preventing distracted driving. Multiple campaigns have been introduced to discourage and fight the use of phones while driving. The administration recently announced that, an issue often ignored, is drowsy driving and is an additional issue it would like to combat.
Mark Rosekind, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently stated: “While not everybody drinks or texts or speeds, lack of sleep is a problem we all face. And falling asleep at the wheel at 70 mph is a recipe for tragedy.”
The NHTSA admits that there is a lack of research and information about lack of sleep and driving. Though Rosekind did report that he estimates that anywhere from 2 percent to 20 percent of annual traffic deaths were caused by driver drowsiness or fatigue. But more recent research by the National Transportation Safety Board indicates that up to 1.2 million car crashes are related to drowsy driving and claim 4,000 to 7,000 lives a year, he said.
Part of the campaign will include specific research regarding drowsy driving and exactly how many traffic accidents are caused by lack of sleep. They also plan on researching what specific law are in effect that penalize sleepy drivers. There are a few laws in effect in Arkansas and New Jersey.
I look forward to seeing the results of the research and what exactly they propose to prevent drowsy driving. The obvious answer would be enacting laws that punish people who are driving on a lack of sleep that cause a car accident, especially where the other party is injured. This could be similar to what we have seen regarding distracted driving over the past five (5) years and what we have seen in drinking and driving laws over the last thirty (30) years.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, the call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.