Drowsy driving is one of the most dangerous things that a motorist can do, but it is also a very common behavior. Almost everyone has gotten tired behind the wheel at some point and kept on driving. Most people underestimate the risk of making this choice, thinking they will be fine when they could end up hurting themselves or hurting someone else at any time. Drowsy drivers who cause accidents could profoundly change the lives of innocent victims. If you or someone you love was hurt in a collision with a fatigued driver, New York personal injury attorneys can help. Drowsy drivers could be held legally responsible for losses if they cause serious injuries or fatalities. Attorneys can assist accident victims in making a claim for compensation if they have a case against a drowsy driver.
Demonstrating the True Risks of Drowsy Driving
One reason why so many people tend to drive when they are tired is because they cannot really conceptualize the danger or truly understand the consequences of their decisions. Huffington Post reports that one man is trying to change that unfortunate reality. The man lost his wife to a drowsy driver and is now trying to put a human face on the risks of getting behind the wheel while fatigued. The man is a retired highway patrolman whose wife was killed in 1999 when she fell asleep at the wheel. She was just a few miles away from a highway rest area when the tragic accident happened. For the past 17 years, he has advocated for better education and has been lobbying states to convince them to enact Drowsy Driving Awareness Day. He is also a public speaker on the issue, and has recorded video PSAs about the very real risks of driving while fatigued. Although the issue of drowsy driving has since begun to get more attention, the retired highway patrolman was one of the first people to take up the cause. He told the Huffington Post that he is happy to see more national groups, like AAA and the National Sleep Foundation, beginning to make more efforts to raise awareness of the issue. However, there is also a long way to go- especially as only two states have laws on their books about fatigued driving. In most states, not only are there no laws aimed at preventing drowsy driving, but law enforcement agents also do not have drowsy driving listed as an official cause of driving collisions in accident reports. This makes it hard to get an accurate assessment of the number of people who are actually involved in fatigued driving crashes over the course of each year. When a driver is drowsy, there is no safe way for the motorist to continue driving. Stopping and resting is the only solution. If a motorist chooses not to rest and causes a crash while fatigued, injured victims should consult with Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff to find out what options they have for recovering compensation for loss.
