A Deer Isle teen escaped serious injury when her vehicle veered off the road and flipped over. According to BDN Maine, the 18-year-old driver was heading west on Snows Cove when the accident happened just before 2:00 a.m. Her vehicle went off the road, hit a tree and rollover over. Deputies report that the young driver fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle was deemed totaled.The truth of the matter is that teens and young adults have higher accident rates than any other age group of drivers. Traffic accidents continue to be the number one cause of death in this young age group. We not only have to worry about our teens driving drowsy because of a night on the town, but we also have to cautious of the long hours they’re putting in at work and school.
Our Bangor car accident lawyers understand that sleepiness while driving has become a serious problem and a major traffic hazard. Fatigue and sleepiness seriously impairs driver performance, creating a life threatening combination. Safety is more important than productivity or deadlines. You should never get behind the wheel if you’re feeling drowsy or fatigued. It’s a risk no one should be willing to take on.
Drowsy driving causes about 700 accidents in Maine each and every year. The effects from driving while sleepy is similar to those drivers experience while driving under the influence of alcohol. Both can affect your ability to maintain control of your vehicle and your driving habits.
Keep an eye out for the warning signs of drowsiness:
-Not being able to remember the last few miles driven.
-Tailgating.
-Missing traffic signs.
-Swerving.
-Blasting music of opening windows to help to wake yourself up.
Did you know that about a fourth of adult drivers report dozing off while driving?sDrowsy driving causes about 100,000 crashes and close to 2,000 fatalities across the U. . each and every year.
To avoid drowsy driving:
-Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep.
-You pull over and take a break when you feel sleepy behind the wheel.
-Take a break every 100 miles, or once every 2 hours.
-Plan road trips with a friend so you can alternate the driving responsibility.
One of the most common misconceptions with drowsy driving is that drivers can help to wake themselves up behind the wheel by simply turning up the radio, opening the window or downing caffeine or eating a meal. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only cure for drowsy driving is to get plenty of sleep. Try to avoid driving during times when your body would naturally be sleeping.
Be a Road Model by avoiding driving when you are tired, knowing when fatigue is affecting you. And always wear your seat belt.
Young drivers are even more susceptible to these kinds of accidents, although they think otherwise. Drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 are involved in close to 40 percent of all drowsy driving-related accidents and fatalities.
Contact the experienced injury lawyers at Peter Thompson & Associates if you or your child has been injured in a car accident. Call 1-800-804-2004 for a consultation to speak to an attorney about your case.
More Blog Entries:
Traffic Death Toll Rises Nationwide, NHTSA Reports, Maine Injury Lawyer Blog, June 28, 2013