Houston Fatigued Driver Accident Lawyers

How can drivers avoid driving while drowsy?

It’s not just truck drivers who are a danger to other vehicles and people on the road when they’re tired.

Bus drivers, train operators, taxi drivers, Uber and Lyft drivers, and other professional drivers owe a high duty of care to their passengers and all the others with whom they share the road. If a driver is tired, they are placing the lives of their passenger(s) and the occupants of the vehicles around them in jeopardy and their fatigue could cause a severe crash resulting catastrophic or permanent injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, burn injuries, and others. As professional drivers who make a living transporting people or cargo in their vehicles, these individuals have gone through additional training about driving safely and are generally more knowledgeable and experienced than civilian drivers, Along with that extra knowledge and training comes the responsibility to drive in a safe, careful, and mindful manner to make the roads as safe as possible for themselves, their passengers or cargo, and all of the other vehicles sharing the road with them.

Non-professional “civilian” drivers are not required to keep logbooks of how many hours they drove, nor do they receive the same level of training and instruction as most professional drivers. However, just like professional drivers, “regular” drivers can do their part to make the roads safer for themselves and the other vehicles sharing the road by avoiding fatigued driving. For extended trips, some of the easiest ways to do this are to periodically take a rest every few hours of driving and to periodically switch drivers if there are multiple qualified and licensed occupants of the vehicle. If a person feels significantly tired at the start of a trip, they should get some rest before getting behind the wheel. Likewise, if at some point while driving a person feels themselves starting to fall asleep, they should pull over immediately and either wake up by having some coffee and stretching if possible, or by giving themselves sufficient time to rest before continuing the drive.

Tired driving and fatigued driving is especially problematic in the greater Houston area. Many Houstonians have extended commutes to and from work in heavy traffic. The mental energy necessary to pay attention to heavy traffic on the commute home after a long day of work saps mental and physical energy. The fatigue from a hard day of work combined with the strain of having to pay close attention to heavy evening traffic only adds to the fatigue and stress of the commute and increases the dangers of an accident caused by tired driving.

Unfortunately, for some Houstonians, their day does not end after getting home from a hard day of work, as there are family obligations to be completed and errands that need to be done. For many of these hard-working individuals, their first impulse after getting home may be to immediately get back on the road and drive to complete their errands as quickly as possible so they can finally get some rest. While this way of thinking is certainly understandable, it is also dangerous. After the cumulative stress and fatigue of a full workday and a difficult commute, most individuals are likely physically and mentally exhausted and need to take some time to refresh and recharge before going back out on the road to run errands in the evening. Otherwise, they greatly increase the risk of causing a crash because of driving while fatigued, and create a danger of serious injury or worse to themselves, their passengers, and the occupants of the other vehicles on the road. Houston motorists who work all day should go home and rest before running errands if the work they do is tiring, rather than run errands on the way home. Drinking and driving can also cause fatigue, along with many other dangerous risks, such as reduced judgment and motor skills.