What is Driver Fatigue?
Driver fatigue can cause serious accidents, and even though most people are aware of the dangers of fatigued driving, they still take risks by getting behind the wheel when they shouldn’t. If you’ve been involved in an accident with a fatigued driver, don’t hesitate to get in touch with an experienced car accident lawyer in Minneapolis MN from Johnston Martineau PLLP.
One of the best methods of avoiding accidents with fatigued drivers is to avoid being a fatigued driver yourself. Read this brief FAQ to get a better understanding of how fatigue affects your driving ability, and learn how a driver can be negligent just by driving while tired.
What is Driver Fatigue?
Driver fatigue is a term used to describe any time you’re driving while tired, exhausted, or too burnt-out to pay attention to the road. Driver fatigue is most often caused by a lack of sleep, but you could also experience driver fatigue if you were taking part in strenuous activities, or using certain medication. Any time you have trouble keeping your eyes open and you’re behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, you’re experiencing driver fatigue.
Of course, driver fatigue only gets worse if you’re dealing with a mind-numbing commute that you’ve done a million times before, or if you’re driving down long stretches of empty nothingness. If you’re tired and you decide to drive, you’re being unsafe – and you could be held responsible for damages that result from a car accident.
What are the Warning Signs of Driver Fatigue?
There are indicators of driver fatigue that go beyond just heavy eyelids. If you’ve ever been on a long drive and found yourself wondering where the last few miles went, you were experiencing one of the major symptoms of driver fatigue. It’s common to forget the last few minutes of your drive completely, and it’s also common to swerve between lanes without noticing.
These are all risk factors that increase the chance of a car accident, and if you’ve been involved in a car crash with a driver you suspect was driving while exhausted, you might want to contact a car accident lawyer in Minneapolis, MN. When you operate a car, you have a responsibility to keep yourself and those around you safe. If a driver knowingly operates their vehicle while fatigued, they’re neglecting that responsibility to themselves and others. But how can you avoid driver fatigue?
How Do I Avoid Driver Fatigue?
The easiest way to avoid driver fatigue is by getting enough sleep. However, in today’s modern world, sleep is a luxury for many of us. It’s important to set aside enough time to get a healthy amount of sleep so you’re not swerving into traffic on your commute, and it’s important to watch what you eat before you get in your car so you aren’t dealing with a food-coma while you drive.
Many people assume caffeine, loud music, and an open window is enough to prevent driver fatigue, but these tricks are only stopgaps that can lead to a false sense of security – and car accidents if they keep you too distracted to drive. Do what’s right by knowing when you’re tired and knowing when you need to rest.
Get in Touch with a Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you’ve been involved in a car accident with a fatigued driver, you were the victim of irresponsibility. There are many ways to avoid driver fatigue, and there are many warning signs that should keep exhausted drivers from getting on the road and seriously injuring others. Fortunately, with the help of a car accident lawyer in Minneapolis, MN, you can get the compensation you deserve to get your life back on track. Reach out to Johnston Martineau PLLP today.
