As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, people may find themselves dealing with growing issues related to fatigue while behind the wheel. This can lead to drowsy driving, where people may find themselves losing control of their vehicle due to mental and physical exhaustion. Here are seven warning signs of drowsy driving you should beware of:
- Failing to stay in their lane
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- One of the most common signs of a drowsy driver is that they struggle to stay in their own lane. They may swerve between lanes, change lanes without signaling, or drive in the middle between two lanes, demonstrating a lack of control over their vehicle.
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- Drifting onto the shoulder or median
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- Another potential sign of drowsy driving is when a driver starts to drift onto the shoulder of the highway, or starts to drive on the median between the two lanes of traffic. As with above, this can be an indication they are not maintaining proper control of their vehicle, and could even hit the sidewalk or drift into oncoming traffic in the worst case scenario.
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- Aggressive driving
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- It should come as no surprise that people who are tired also tend to be more irritable, meaning that they are more likely to engage in aggressive driving behaviors. These may include things like cutting people off, or using profanity or rude gestures at other drivers.
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- Ignoring traffic lights or stop signs
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- Drowsy driving can also cause people to miss traffic lights and signs, causing them to do things like run red lights or roll through stop signs. This can create a major hazard, because other drivers do not expect people to blatantly ignore traffic laws, increasing the risk of an accident.
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- Sudden stops and starts
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- Similar to drunk drivers, people engaging in drunk driving often have impaired reaction times, causing them to suddenly start and stop when attempting to accelerate or brake. This can make their movements erratic, and may indicate they will not be able to stop in time if they need to suddenly slow down to avoid an accident.
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- Tailgating
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- Ordinarily, tailgating is a sign of an aggressive driver who is trying to pressure the driver in front of them to drive faster. However, it can also be a sign of drowsy driving, with the driver being unable to judge the safe minimum distance between themselves and the vehicle in front of them.
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- Failing to respect the right of way
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- At any intersection, drivers are expected to respect the right of way, minimizing the chances of an accidental collision. However, drowsy drivers are less attentive, increasing the odds they will simply drive through an intersection without first checking to see if someone else has the right of way, potentially causing an accident in the process.
For more than 50 years, the New York lawyers at Elovich and Adell have represented clients like you in personal injury cases. Our attorneys, conveniently located in Long Beach, handle personal injury, real estate, commercial transactions, criminal defense, and labor and employment claims all across New York State. For a consultation, please call us at 516-432-6263 or visit our contact page for more information.
