Many people believe that staying as busy as possible is important. Some forego sleep in an effort to do as much as possible. While that’s a personal choice, it’s one that can have negative impacts on that individual’s ability to operate a vehicle safely.
Sleep deprivation can lead to effects that are similar to alcohol impairment. In Pennsylvania, adults 21 and older are considered legally intoxicated when they have a blood alcohol (BAC) level of .08%. A person who hasn’t slept in 20 hours has the same driving effects as a person who has that BAC.
Micro-sleeps can occur
Fatigue can mean that a driver can’t react normally to situations as they drive. They may have delays in their reaction time or trouble with depth or speed perception. For some drivers, the issue they face is micro-sleeps.
A micro-sleep occurs when the driver dozes off behind the wheel. This can last a few seconds or longer. During the time the driver is dozing, the vehicle is moving without being under anyone’s control.
Consider this – it only takes five seconds for a vehicle to go the length of a football field if it’s moving at 55 miles per hour. If the driver falls asleep for five seconds, the vehicle is moving freely for 100 yards, which is ample time and distance for a tragic crash.
Victims of fatigued driving crashes can suffer catastrophic injuries, particularly if the wreck occurs at highway speeds. Considerable financial damages can occur because of those injuries, so the victims may choose to seek compensation to help offset those. There are strict time limits for this, so getting the claim filed quickly is critical.