South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
Every day we find ourselves working hard, expending energy, trying to keep up. It’s no wonder that driving while you are tired has become a part of our daily routine. But through the busy Christmas and New Year’s holiday, it can be especially dangerous.
Our Fort Lauderdale car crash attorneys are experienced when it comes to handling cases where a fatigued driver gets on the road and is involved in a traffic accident.
Last year, Florida reported a total of 2,558 traffic fatalities according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . This is down 14% from the year before when 2,980 traffic fatalities were recorded. Broward was the second highest county in traffic fatalities recorded in 2009 at 189. This is not a trend we would like to continue in the future.
Though Florida is not a state that often reports traffic fatalities related to driving drowsy, they are the most recent state (18th) to pass a law that requires the state to now be more educated and promote awareness by dedicating a week in September to “Drowsy Driver Awareness”. Florida recently passed The RonShay Dugan Act as a result of an 8 year old girl who was killed while traveling on a school bus who was hit by a drowsy driver.
The terminology used seems to vary from state to state, but one fact still remains, driving when you are exhausted should warrant a big red flag. The NHTSA reports that there are approximately 100,000 traffic crashes per year in which someone’s vision or response time were slighted and potentially led to bad decision making because they were exhausted and chose to drive a vehicle anyway. It seems as though young adults are the most likely to drive when they are tired but they have also found that men are more likely than women. It’s also no surprise that those whose jobs require working a shift are more likely to drive tired then a 9-5 scheduled job.
Many motorists are guilty at times of driving when we are tired.Please keep the following helpful safety tips in mind:
-Get as much rest as possible each night, especially if you know you have a long day ahead of you that will require late night driving.
-Drink some caffeine and turn on your radio so that you can sing along to your favorite tunes. But be aware that neither measure will provide relief for long.
-If you start to get tired, pull into an exit area or a well lit parking lot to take a quick walk and get your energy flowing again.
-A sleepy driver is in danger of nodding off at anytime. Please pull over and rest.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a Southern Florida car accident, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Freeman & Mallard. Call toll free at 800-529-2368.