Drowsy driving’s toll in Nebraska

Many things can pose significant dangers out on Nebraska’s roads. Among these are drivers taking to, or staying out on, the roads when drowsy.

State statistics indicate that 1,453 accidents involving drowsy/asleep drivers were reported in the state between 2010 and 2014. This includes nearly 700 injury-causing accidents and 11 fatal crashes.

These numbers are especially sobering given that it is thought that drowsy driving is underreported. So, these stats could be greatly under-representing the toll drowsy driving takes out on Nebraska’s roads.

This underscores how critical it is for Nebraska drivers to stay away from driving while fatigued. Among the drowsy-driving-prevention steps drivers can take is to keep an eye out for signs that they may be starting to get too tired and that they may want to get off of the roads (or not get behind the wheel if they are not yet on the roads). Such signs include things like: slowed reaction time, rubbing eyes, yawning, disconnected/wandering thoughts, trouble keep one’s head up, trouble keeping visual focus, missing things one normally would catch and heavy eyelids.

Another time in which looking for red flags of drowsy driving can be crucial is when a person has been hurt out on the roads by someone they suspect was fatigued behind the wheel. Various evidence and information could indicate the presence of such red flags in relation to an accident. What such evidence and information a victim of a drowsy driver presents in their case for compensation could have major impacts on the case. So, help with looking for signs and evidence of drowsy driving is among the things a victim of an accident caused by a suspected fatigued driver may want to go to a traffic crash attorney for.

Source: Nebraska Department of Roads, “Drowsy Driving Facts & Tips,” Accessed June 13, 2017