Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Preventing Driver Fatigue Accidents (Part A)
Driver fatigue can often lead to a car accident, personal injuries and a car accident fatality. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that over 100,000 car accidents each year are caused by driver fatigue. While driving fatigue accidents occur all the time, there are several ways to prevent them. If you’ve been injured by a fatigued driver, you know that it can be hard to predict the driving patterns and behaviors of other motorists. However, these tips can help you and your loved ones look out for fatigued drivers while on the road as well as how to prevent becoming a fatigued driver yourself.
Avoiding Fatigued Drivers
Sometimes, driving fatigue accidents can be unavoidable. It’s impossible to keep an eye on all drivers on the road, and you can’t avoid every potential drowsy driver.
However, the easiest way to avoid fatigued drivers is to:
- Stay off the road after midnight. In particular, avoid driving during the period of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m., as most driving fatigue accidents happen during this period.
- If you can’t avoid driving during these times, keep a safe distance away from other cars on the highway and report any unsafe drivers to the police by calling 911. Fatigued drivers will often swerve or migrate into other lanes; if you see this behavior, contact the police immediately and you could help prevent a driving fatigue accident.
If You’ve Already Been Injured By a Fatigued Driver
After receiving medical attention, you’ll next need to explore your legal options against the inattentive driver that caused your injuries. You’ll not only need to determine liability, but prove it through evidence, witness statements, expert testimony, and the other elements that build a solid personal injury claim.
To do this you’ll need the assistance of an experienced Boston car accident injury lawyer who has experience representing victims of driver fatigue accidents.
To learn more about how to prevent driver fatigue accidents from occurring, go to Preventing Driver Fatigue Accidents (Part B).
