Have you ever told someone you are too tired to go out? Or have you ever left a piece of work till the morning because you were so tired you could no longer give it the attention needed? Everyone gets tired occasionally, and everyone needs to put things off because of it. Yet, few people apply this to driving a vehicle.
Tired drivers can kill themselves and others. Imagine this: A metal box weighing over one and a half tonnes is set loose on your streets. Someone sitting in a room in town is controlling it with a joystick. How would you feel if you knew they were out partying all night and had not been to bed? Or if you knew they had done this 12 hours a day without a day off in weeks?
Yet no one seems to bat an eyelid at real-life drivers taking the wheel in similar situations. The roads are full of drivers who are unsafe because they have not got enough rest or sleep. Some are driving vehicles weighing far more than one and a half tonnes.
Fatigue affects drivers in several ways
A tired driver could:
- Be slower to spot a hazard and process it
- Be slower to respond to a hazard by braking or steering
- Be more likely to make poor decisions
- Be more likely to fall asleep at the wheel and lose control
If a driver injures you in a collision, you need to examine all the factors contributing to the crash. While someone being tired is understandable, taking the wheel when exhausted is negligent. If you can show negligence in any form, it can help secure the compensation you need.