There are many times when people may not drive as well as they otherwise can. Those who have had too much to drink may struggle to properly operate a vehicle. Individuals taking medication for illnesses or injuries may also experience diminished capacity at the wheel.
Distraction can also prevent someone from noticing and properly responding to alarming changes in traffic conditions. Fatigue or exhaustion can also be very dangerous. Unlike distraction, illness or chemical impairment, fatigued driving doesn’t necessarily come with harsh social stigma.
If anything, modern culture tends to lionize those coping with the fatigue generated by working long hours. Fatigued drivers have a significantly higher risk of causing a crash than the average motorist does. How does fatigue contribute to collision risk?
The possibility of falling asleep
According to self-reported data, roughly one in 25 drivers admits to falling asleep at the wheel within the last 30 days at least once. Some of those drivers may have had more than one incident in which they lost consciousness while driving. Falling asleep generally means losing control of a vehicle, even if it only lasts for a few seconds.
Difficulty focusing when fatigued
Researchers often compare extreme exhaustion to chemical impairment. It produces many of the same impediments that diminish driving capability. For example, people who have gone many hours without proper rest may have a very hard time focusing. They may fail to properly monitor their surroundings and could cause a crash as a result. Safe driving generally requires constant focus on both the vehicle and road conditions.
Compromised decision-making capability
There are two ways in which exhaustion can affect a driver’s ability to react to changing traffic conditions. The first is through increased reaction times. They may take a split second longer to maneuver or apply the brakes, which can be the difference between preventing a crash and causing one. The second involves diminished executive function. People who are tired have a difficult time making the best decision possible quickly. Drivers can make seemingly foolish mistakes while fatigued because of their diminished capacity.
While there are no tests that can prove that a driver was too tired to drive, statements that they make after a crash and personal records, such as information about an 18-hour shift they just worked, could help validate claims that fatigue contributed to a wreck. Holding exhausted drivers accountable may require a lawsuit in addition to an insurance claim if a crash leads to injury and major property damage.
