Fatigued Driving Accidents in Arkansas are Crimes
Most of us have been there: our hands on the wheel, our eyelids getting heavier. But fatigued driving kills hundreds of people nationwide every year. So why do we still do it? And, more importantly, how can we prevent potential fatigued driving accidents in Arkansas before they injure innocent victims?
Is Fatigued Driving Really a Problem in Arkansas?
Is it really that dangerous to drive when you haven’t had that much sleep? After all, multiple nationwide studies have found that at least 1/3 of drivers have driven at some point in their lives when they’ve been too tired to safely operate a motor vehicle.
Turns out fatigued driving is very similar to drunk driving.
The NHTSA conducted an in-depth study that found fatigued driving is every bit as deadly and destructive as driving while under the influence of alcohol. Fatigued drivers suffer many of the same impairments as drunk drivers including:
• Delayed reaction time
• Inability to accurately judge distances
• Blurry vision
• Impaired judgement
And it may be difficult for drivers to really know when they’re truly fatigued. Studies have shown that not sleeping for a considerable chunk of consecutive hours can create a sort of mental haze. However, drowsiness can occur when a person accumulates a significant “sleep debt” through failing to get enough sleep over several consecutive nights (typically less than 6 hours per night). While Arkansas criminal law won’t protect surviving family members in these cases yet, civil law gives victims the ability to hold drivers liable for their poor choices.
How Wide Spread is Drowsy Driving?
The NHTSA study (mentioned above) and AAA’s 2014 Traffic Safety Culture Index found that:
• 29% of drivers admit having driven when they’re so tired that they have a hard time keeping their eyes open.
• An estimated 37% of people have become drowsy (up to the point of actually falling asleep) behind the wheel.
• 1-in-5 people have dozed while behind the wheel multiple times.
• 2.4% of people reported regularly nodding off while driving.
It’s difficult to accurately count how many people are injured by fatigued drivers because statistics aren’t regularly collected. When they are, collating them becomes a headache. However, the most accurate data we have available suggests that between 2% and 20% of all fatal traffic accidents in Arkansas can be related to drowsy driving.
But not all fatigued driver accidents in Arkansas result in death. What can victims who survive serious crashes do if the driver who injured them was driving while drowsy?
Contact a Fatigued Driver Accident Lawyer in Arkansas
The Pfeifer Law Firm has been protecting the rights of persons injured in accidents due to a tired or drowsy driver since long before Arkansas’ fatigued driver law went into effect. We have the skills and resources available to help victims get the financial compensation they are entitled to when they have been injured due to another person’s negligence. We can help secure larger-than-average insurance claims and even take your case to court, if it goes that far. When you hire the Pfeifer Law Firm, you will have an advocate on your side, protecting your rights with aggressive legal representation.
If you’ve been injured by a drowsy driver, contact the Pfeifer Law Firm today or call 501-374-4440. Schedule your free consultation with an experienced fatigued driver accident attorney in Arkansas right now. You don’t owe us anything until we recover for you.