Eddie Farah Discusses Recent Study that Concludes Driving Drowsy is as Dangerous as Drunk Driving
You might think twice before getting behind the wheel if you aren’t sober enough to drive — but would you put as much thought into getting behind the wheel if you are sleepy?
Florida car accident attorney Eddie Farah thinks that if you don’t, it’s time to start.
According to a study recently published in the Journal Archives of Internal Medicine, which looked into accident factors in southwest France, there is virtually no difference between being drunk and being sleepy while driving. Both factors doubled the risk of causing an accident.
The French study included 679 people who were hospitalized due to a car accident between 2007 and 2009. What they found was that men and younger drivers were more prone to get behind the wheel when they were tired. The study concluded that while younger people in general were more likely to cause a serious accident, an important causation factor was alcohol ingestion and drowsiness at the wheel, the Huffington Post reported.
Of course, the problem isn’t just confined to France. Here at home, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has estimated that 100,000 crashes reported each year are the direct result of fatigue and sleepiness. Polls have shown that a majority of Americans admit they have driven when they were drowsy. Interestingly, a vast majority also thinks that it is wrong to do so.
Yet, only one state — New Jersey — has a law that makes it illegal to knowingly drive when fatigued.
Time and again, personal injury attorney Eddie Farah has seen the catastrophic results of accidents caused by fatigued and sleepy drivers. Drowsy drivers in large trucks and in automobiles are responsible for injuries and deaths that leave victims and their families devastated. The message is clear: think before getting behind the wheel if you are tired. Let’s keep Florida’s roads and highways safe for everybody.
By Eddie Farah
