State traffic safety officials are once again sounding the alarm on drowsy driving, particularly when it comes to trucks.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recently launched its annual drowsy driving campaign. The department is focusing on helping drivers recognize the signs of exhaustion, understand how to prevent drowsiness when planning to be behind the wheel, and know what to do if they are tired or displaying signs of fatigue while driving.
“Driving without adequate rest is dangerous,” said Dave Kerner, FHSMV’s executive director. “Drowsy driving is completely preventable and should be avoided at all costs. Anyone about to take the wheel should be fully alert, responsive, and ready for the drive.”
Drowsiness plays a factor in more than one-fifth (21%) of all fatal traffic accidents across the country, according to data compiled by the American Automobile Association. That number is steadily climbing nationwide, AAA says.
Drowsiness can wreak havoc on the road in several different ways. Fatigue reduces awareness and slows reaction times. It can also impair judgment, leading to poor decision-making that can end in crashes.
Drivers themselves tend to underestimate how tired they are, as well as how it impacts their ability to operate their vehicles. AAA researchers found in a 2023 study that roughly 75% of drivers who rated their own drowsiness as low showed signs of being moderately or very drowsy.
Sleepy Truck Drivers Cause Deadly Accidents
Drowsiness is a particular risk among truck drivers.
They often spend long stretches of time behind the wheel, with little or no rest, trying to make tight delivery deadlines. That puts everyone sharing the road with the massive vehicles at risk.
“If you’re a truck driver, and feeling drowsy, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the beginning, middle, or end of your drive,” Alix Miller, President and CEO of the Florida Trucking Association, said in a statement as part of the FLHSMV campaign. “You need to pull over and rest to make sure everyone on our roads gets home safely.”
Ignoring this warning can have tragic consequences.
Florida first started the drowsy driving campaign in 2008, after an 8-year-old boy was killed in a truck accident. A cement truck driver who fell asleep behind the wheel reportedly plowed his rig into a school bus full of children on their way to the Tallahassee Boys and Girls Club.
Talk With a Villages Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck or other crash in Florida, you do not need to go it alone. Villages truck accident lawyer Tim Babiarz has been fighting for people and families across the community for more than two decades.
Our office is conveniently located in the Villages. We are also proud to represent clients throughout the area, including in Ocala, Leesburg, Lady Lake, Wildwood, Summerfield and beyond. Call (352) 205-7559 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a Villages truck accident lawyer.
