It’s easy to associate impaired driving with alcohol, but the National Safety Council warns that drugged and drowsy drivers are just as dangerous as those who are drunk. Motorists who drive while impaired put themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk.
If you were injured by a drunk, drugged or drowsy driver in Louisiana, turn to Morris Bart, LLC. An auto accident lawyer in New Orleans will help you claim compensation for lost income, medical bills and other damages. Call 800-537-8185 to schedule a free initial consultation.
Let’s take a closer look at the three categories of impaired driving:
Drunk Driving
Every day, 27 people in the United States die in alcohol-related accidents. That means drunk drivers are involved in nearly one-third of all road deaths.
Despite the danger, 10 percent of the country drove drunk at least once in the past year, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. If your plans involve alcohol, be sure to arrange alternative transportation before you start drinking.
You should also watch out for signs of intoxication from other drivers. Keep your distance from motorists who:
- Swerve
- Tailgate
- Almost hit a curb
- Drive with their headlights turned off at night
- Use the wrong turn signal or no turn signal at all
- Stop well before or after a stop line
- Drive too fast or too slow for the conditions
- Brake or accelerate in abnormal patterns
For a free legal consultation, call 800-537-8185
Drowsy Driving
According to a study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 37 percent of Americans have fallen asleep at the wheel. Drowsy driving results in 100,000 crashes every year according to conservative estimates.
Even if you do not fall asleep at the wheel, being drowsy is enough to cripple your reaction time and impair your decision-making. Being awake for more than 20 hours will result in impairment that is equal to that of someone with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08, according to DrowsyDriving.org.
Don’t push your limits if you feel too fatigued to drive. If you’re planning a long road trip, get at least seven hours of sleep the night before you depart. Take a 20-minute rest every two hours or 100 miles.
Drugged Driving
Alcohol is not the only substance that can impair your driving. Drugs other than alcohol were identified in the bloodstream of 18 percent of people who died in car accidents in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Some medications that do not require a prescription can affect a driver’s performance. Do not drive after taking any medicine that causes drowsiness.
WebMD warns that medications for nausea, allergies and muscle pain can severely impair your driving when combined with alcohol. They can cause fatigue, dizziness and poor coordination.
If you were injured by an impaired driver in Louisiana, contact a New Orleans car accident attorney from Morris Bart, LLC. Call 800-537-8185 to schedule a free initial consultation.
Questions?Call 800-537-8185
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
