You can blame the heat, the long desolate roads or even the need to work longer hours, but Texans are a tired bunch. There is nothing wrong with being a little tired, but when you decide to drive while being extremely drowsy, the results could be deadly.
In an unfortunate statistic that has Texas at the top of the list, drivers in the Lone Star state have the highest instances of driving drowsy than any other state. This form of dangerous driving accounted for over 6,000 crashes in 2016 that resulted in 159 fatalities. The state that came in second was Alabama which had only 43 fatalities attributed to drowsy driving.
In a study by the CDC, they claim that 1 in 25 drivers across the nation have fallen asleep while driving at some point in the last 30 days. The highest number of accidents due to drowsy drivers occurred on Sundays and Mondays between the hours of 5am and 6am. June was the month that led all others for most crashes.
Combating drowsy driving
The best cure for drowsy driving is to pull over and get some rest. Even 15 to 30 minutes of sleep can greatly help drowsiness. In Texas, it is legal to spend up to 24 hours at a rest stop for napping or sleeping purposes. Besides falling asleep at the wheel, the main cause for an accident when driving drowsy is due to delayed reaction times. Watery eyes and a bobbing head mean that if another car or obstruction gets in your way, you may not react quickly enough to miss it. Thirty-percent of drowsy driving crashes happen between two vehicles, but nearly two-thirds are the result of a single vehicle running into another object.
Why are Texas drivers so tired?
There is not a solid conclusion as to why Texas has the highest concentration of sleepy drivers, but it does not have anything to do with population. The state of California which as 10 million more residents was way down on the list of states with drowsy driving accidents. One guess as to why there are more instances of drowsy drivers in Texas than anywhere else is because Texas is just a unique area where highway hypnosis can take effect. Drivers being in this type of daze can severely take their attention off the road.
Before you drive, especially if it will be over a long distance, you should make sure you have adequate rest before embarking on the journey. If you have been in an accident that you believe was the result of another driving being drowsy or asleep, you should contact an attorney who can help you determine if you should be compensated for your injuries.
