How Impactful is Drowsy Driving In The United States?

Sleep-impaired and drowsy, sleepy driving practices lead to car accidents is a huge safety problem in the United States. Car accidents and other motor vehicle collisions, including trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and car pedestrian accidents caused by drivers who continue driving when drowsy or sleep impaired, have been determined to be a major cause of personal injury in motor vehicle collisions.

drowsy driving

Statistics compiled by the National Sleep Foundation revealed that 60% of adult drivers report that they have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy in the past year More than one third have actually fallen asleep at the wheel!

Actually one third of the respondents of this study reported that they had actually nodded off while driving. 13% reported that they have done so at least once a month.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published statistics showing that approximately 100,000 police reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. That translates to approximately1,550 deaths and the 71,000 injuries.

The challenges that are faced in correcting this problem are significant. Unlike Impaired Driving, which has intoxication testing, and after a crash, there is no way to test to determine whether as the driver causing the accident was sleepy drowsy, or sleep impaired. At the time of the crash similarly, there is no law enforcement training available to assist officers in detecting which crashes were the result of sleep impaired driving.

The Schmidt & Salita Law Team has locations throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Osseo, Anoka, Coon Rapids, Brooklyn Center, Fridley, Blaine, Shoreview, Woodbury, Falcon Heights, Columbia Park, Stillwater, Hastings, Inver Grove, Cottage Grove, South St. Paul, Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville, Savage, Shakopee, Richfield, Bloomington, Chaska, Chanhassen, Edina, Eden Prairie, and Hopkins.

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Dean M. Salita

Dean Salita is a seasoned Personal Injury lawyer with over 30 years of experience, specializing in workplace injuries and occupational diseases like asbestos-related illnesses. He’s the chair of the Minnesota Association for Justice Workers’ Compensation section and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer with an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell. Dean is dedicated to providing personal, compassionate legal support to his clients, guiding them through trials and the legal process.