As you know, drunk driving violates traffic laws and could cause you to receive a criminal charge. However, the other driver likely wasn’t drunk when you had your accident. They were, instead, likely tired, which can cause many of the symptoms someone drunk would experience.
While drunk driving and drowsy driving are clearly two different things, there are a number of symptoms a tired driver would experience as if they were drunk. Here’s what you should know:
Sleeping behind the wheel
There’s no question that a tired driver would pass a breath test if asked and if they weren’t drinking. Yet, being tired or being drunk, exclusively, affects a person’s awareness, focus and reaction times. A drowsy driver may not realize they’re drifting between lanes and may violate traffic laws, such as running a stop sign or making an illegal turn.
Drowsy driving doesn’t have to occur because someone is sleep deprived. Instead, they could be minorly tired and just need a nap. Even the slightest feeling of sleepiness could drastically alter how someone drives. But, the more tired a driver is, the more likely they’ll cause an accident.
The worst thing that a drowsy driver may do is fall asleep behind the wheel. A driver who’s asleep while driving has no control over their actions. One wrong move and the driver could end up turning off the road or speeding into a vehicle. They likely can’t help suddenly falling asleep behind the wheel, but they can prevent themselves from getting into a car when they realize they’re too tired to drive.
If you’re in an accident because the other driver fell asleep then you may need to know your legal right when seeking compensation for your injuries and losses.
