If you’ve got a newly-licensed driver in your family, you might want to talk to them about the dangers of drowsy driving.
A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety revealed that drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 have the highest risks for these kinds of accidents. You might think these youngsters have all of the energy in the world, and that’s mostly true, until they get behind the wheel.
Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand that these young drivers are more likely than drivers in any other age group to drive while feeling drowsy. Where only one out of every 10 adult drivers admit to driving while drowsy at least one time in the last month, one out of every seven young drivers admit to it. When involved in accidents, these young drivers were more than 75 percent more likely to be drowsy at the time of impact than drivers who were between the ages of 40 and 59. Drowsy driving continues to be a leading contributor in traffic accidents across the nation.
“In preparation for the holiday driving season and with many young drivers heading home for Thanksgiving break, AAA is drawing attention to this often overlooked crash risk that is a serious threat to everyone’s safety on the road,” said Robert Darbelnet with AAA.
Does your teen know how to point out drowsy driving symptoms?
-Drifting off or daydreaming.
-Swerving along the road and in and out of your lanes.
-Yawning excessively.
-Having a tough time remembering the last few miles driven.
-Missing your exits and ignoring street signs and traffic devices.
-Having a tough time focusing your eyes.
-Having a hard time keeping your eyes open.
To help you and your teen to avoid drowsy diving, it’s important that you take the appropriate actions. Share the following with your teen to help to keep them safe out there.
Drowsy Driving Safety Tips:
-Be sure that you’re getting plenty of sleep each night (between 7 and 9 hours).
-Try not to drive during times that you would normally be sleeping.
-When planning out your road trip, make sure you plan in rest stops. You should stop every 100 miles or at least once every 2 hours.
-Try not to eat big meals before or during your road trip.
-Travel with a licensed friend or family member so you can exchange driving roles to make sure everyone is wide awake and well-rested.
-Avoid taking medicines or medications that can cause drowsiness or can impair your driving abilities.
Talk with your young driver today about these risks. They’re going to be spending a lot more time behind the wheel as we roll into the Holiday season. Let’s make sure that this time is safe. It’s a discussion that could wind up saving their life.
Remember: National Sleep Foundation’s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week® runs November 12-18.
Freeman & Mallard is a personal injury and wrongful death law firm dedicated to helping those who have been injured in an accident. Call today for a free consultation to discuss your case. 1-800-561-7777.
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Man Struck by Three Cars in West Palm Pedestrian Accident, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, July 15, 2011