Some people believe that they can function well enough to do just about anything when they’re tired. While that might be true for many things, it’s never a good idea for a driver to get behind the wheel if they’re fatigued.
The effects of fatigue on the body are considerable. The longer a person goes without sleep, the worse those effects become. If a person stays awake for 18 hours, they experience the same effects as a person who has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .05%. By the time they are awake for 20 hours, they have the same effects as a person who has a BAC of .08%, which is legally drunk.
Why else is fatigued driving dangerous?
Besides the driver suffering from negative driving effects, such as slowed reaction time, fatigued driving can also lead to microsleeps. A microsleep is a short period of time when the driver dozes off, which leaves the vehicle without proper control for the duration of the microsleep.
If a driver falls asleep for just five seconds while they’re driving at 55 miles per hour, the vehicle will be uncontrolled for a distance that’s the length of a football field. That’s a considerable distance for a vehicle to be moving without proper control. Catastrophic crashes can occur during that time.
Victims of fatigued driving crashes may suffer serious injuries, some of which may require long-term care and hospitalization. The cost of that care can be considerable, so they may opt to pursue a claim for compensation to help cover those expenses, as well as others that are related to the crash.