New York Car Accidents: Driving Tired Could Be Deadly

This month we covered the tragic story of a New York car and truck accident that took the lives of a man, a woman, and two of the women’s children. The family was not speeding or driving recklessly when their car left its lane and drifted into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer, but the man was driving while fatigued. While New York Police may never know for sure what happened that night, they believe that the driver fell asleep at the wheel of the car.

Here are the shocking statistics: according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsiness or fatigue is the principal cause of an estimated 100,000 police-reported car crashes every year. At least 1,500 people are killed each year because of driver fatigue and 71,000 are injured. Even more frightening is the fact that these numbers may be low, as driving tired is often not noted in car accident police reports. All in all, traffic safety experts believe that 20 percent of car accidents involve a tired driver.

Some states are now passing laws that make drowsy driving illegal – that getting behind the wheel while sleepy is a form of reckless driving. The logic makes sense: sleepy drivers often have less coordination and alertness than drunk drivers, and 90 percent of police officers report pulling over a vehicle for drunk driving only to discover that the driver is sober – but falling asleep at the wheel.

Want to learn how you can help prevent New York car accidents that involve fatigued and tired drivers? Read our article about how to avoid falling asleep behind the wheel.