Tired Driving: Not Worth the Risk
Sun Media
In light of the Tracy Morgan lawsuit, I thought I would address fatigued driving. This often occurs when a person is sleep deprived. Drowsydriving.org states that driving fatigued is almost the same as driving while impaired. Your response time is lessened, you have problems processing information, your mood is affected and your agility is compromised. In the U.S., it is estimated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that at least 2% of all fatal accidents are caused by drowsy driving. This is likely conservative because unlike alcohol, there is no test for drowsiness.
There are laws in place for professional drivers dictating how long they should be on the road and how long they should rest. These are extremely difficult to monitor. Those regulations do not exist for private drivers, and if you are drowsy and drive, you could be charged with careless driving and reckless driving among other things.
The key when driving is to be alert. If you are distracted or tired, you are a danger – end of story. Both your life and the lives of other’s are too precious to gamble on. You do not want to live with the guilt of taking someone’s life by drinking, doing drugs, being distracted or being drowsy behind the wheel.