Many people understand that driving drunk is very dangerous. It can reduce reaction times. It can lead to more driving mistakes. It hinders their cognitive processing abilities so they may make errors that they never would’ve committed otherwise. They consistently choose not to drive if they’ve had any alcohol to drink.At the same time, these individuals may frequently drive when they’re tired. Maybe they have a late-night business trip and they need to make a flight. Maybe they’re just tired during their commute after a long shift. They don’t view this the same way as drunk driving. But the reality is quite similar.
20 consecutive hours
For example, some studies have found that going without sleep for 20 consecutive hours – not even an entire day – will significantly impair a driver’s ability. They will operate their vehicle as if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%. This is the legal limit in all states. That level of fatigue essentially makes them just as impaired as an intoxicated driver.What happens if the driver does stay awake for an entire day? After 24 hours, studies claim that the impairment is closer to having a BAC of 0.1%. As you can see, this means that the effect is cumulative and extreme fatigue could make someone vastly more dangerous on the road than they believe they are.
Have you been injured?
You may always drive when you are alert and awake, refraining from the use of alcohol and never driving when you’re fatigued. But it’s clear that other drivers will still do this on a consistent basis. If you’ve been injured by one of these drivers in an accident they caused, you may need to seek financial compensation for medical bills and other costs.