Illinois residents who choose to drive while they are drowsy aren’t only putting themselves but others on the roadway in danger. Drowsy driving has been equated to having the same impairment level of being intoxicated. With over 50% of American adults admitting to driving drowsy, it’s time that everyone starts to understand the real effects that fatigue can have on an individual’s ability to drive safely.

The true statistics behind drowsy driving

Throughout 2017, 91,000 car accidents were the result of drowsy driving. Out of all these accidents, there were 795 deaths and 50,000 injuries. These statistics are utterly alarming as deciding to get behind the wheel while drowsy is an activity that anyone can easily avoid.

Sleep-deprived driving vs. drunk driving

To help people better understand just how much sleep deprivation can affect a person’s driving ability, researchers compared drowsy drivers to drunk drivers. It was discovered that both drivers suffered similar driving impairments. The most common were slower reaction times, less vigilance and a lack of coordination.

To take it a step further, researchers performed a blood alcohol content (BAC) comparison of drowsy drivers. They discovered that drivers who went without sleep for 24 straight hours had an impairment level equal to that of a driver with a BAC of 0.1%. Drivers who didn’t sleep for 20 hours had an impairment equal to a BAC of .08%. Even those who lacked sleep for only 18 hours were found to experience impairment equal to having a BAC of .05%.

Sleep-deprived driving is becoming a growing problem throughout the nation. This is one type of driving cause that can be easily avoided by a person checking his or her drowsiness level before choosing to drive. If you’ve been injured because of a drowsy driver, then you should seek legal assistance to help prove your case.