If you are feeling fatigued, drowsy, or sleep-deprived, it may be negligent of you to get behind the wheel. Follow along to find out why fatigued driving is a form of negligent driving and how a proficient Fayetteville, Arkansas car accident lawyer at the Knapp Law Firm can help you understand this.
How is fatigued driving a form of negligent driving?
Oftentimes, when an individual drives after being awake for 20 or so hours, they will experience something known as micro-sleep. These are short-involuntary periods of inattention.
So if you, for example, experience five seconds of micro-sleep while driving on a highway, you may just travel the length of a football field before gaining attentiveness once more. In this span of time, you may get yourself into a serious, if not fatal, accident. In this situation, you would be considered a negligent driver.
With that being said, fatigued driving is a form of negligent driving if you continue to drive after experiencing any of the following:
- You continue to drive even though you cannot stop yawning.
- You continue to drive even though you cannot keep your head up.
- You continue to drive even though you cannot keep your eyes open.
- You continue to drive even though you cannot maintain your lane.
- You continue to drive even though you cannot maintain your speed.
- You continue to drive even though you cannot remember the last few miles of driving.
- You continue to drive even though you cannot follow road signs.
- You continue to drive even though you cannot follow GPS directions.
What are the other forms of negligent driving?
In addition to fatigued driving, there are other forms of negligent driving that can lead to accidents. They are as follows:
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Driving while distracted with a handheld device.
- Driving while distracted with other passengers in the vehicle.
- Driving while distracted with the vehicle’s dials.
- Driving while eating, drinking, smoking, or grooming.
- Driving recklessly by speeding, ignoring traffic signals, failing to use turn signals, or otherwise.
What should I do if I am in a fatigued driving accident?
If you were involved in an accident, and the other driver was practicing negligence by driving while fatigued, then you may have a personal injury claim on your hands.
Importantly, if you wish to pursue this legal route, you will have to do so within the state of Arkansas’ statute of limitations. This deadline is generally three years from the date your accident occurred. Failure to bring your claim forward on time will forever bar you from recovering your damages.
So, without any further hesitation, reach out to a talented Fayetteville, Arkansas personal injury lawyer today.
