New Sleep Study Reveals True Danger of Drowsy Driving

Oct 12,2018

A new study published in the journal Sleep shows that people who have slept less than seven of the past 24 hours are at an increased risk of crashing. The greatest risk involves drivers who have gotten less than four hours of sleep.

Adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep a night. However, surveys show that 1 in 5 U.S. adults gets less than 7 hours of sleep a night. According to researchers, driving after sleeping less than four hours is akin to driving with a blood alcohol concentration of roughly 1.5 times the legal limit. Moreover, roughly 7% of U.S. crashes involve driver fatigue.

Drivers who get less sleep are not only more likely to be involved in crashes, but they are also more likely to be responsible for those accidents. According to the Sleep study, drivers who reported sleeping less than four hours a night were 15.1 times more likely to be responsible for auto accidents than drivers who got 7-9 hours of sleep.

“Drowsy driving is a huge problem on U.S. roadways. Drivers need to treat fatigued driving as seriously as drunk driving,” said Attorney Walter Clark, founder of Walter Clark Legal Group.

Our firm has been handling personal injury cases throughout the California Low Desert and High Desert communities for over 30 years. With a 95% success rate, the personal injury attorneys at Walter Clark Legal Group will fight to hold those responsible for your loss accountable and win compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured in an auto accident and want to discuss your legal options, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. We have offices in Indio, Rancho Mirage, Victorville, El Centro, and Yucca Valley, and represent clients through the entire California Low Desert and High Desert communities.

DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.