Sleep is a necessary and critical component of a healthy lifestyle. Yet, Americans routinely do not get enough sleep every night, often turning to herbal supplements, coffee, and energy drinks just to make it through the work week. From doctors to construction workers, no one is immune to the effects of sleep deprivation and everyone at some point drives fatigued. Sadly, driving while drowsy can result in serious and often fatal car accidents.
Consider these most recent examples. In July, a traffic safety contractor with RoadSafe Traffic Systems fell asleep while driving and he ventured into oncoming traffic. He sideswiped a school bus on Weld County Road 49, injuring 28 people, mostly high school students. Two weeks later an employee of Patriot Well Solutions fell asleep at the wheel of his pickup truck while driving down U.S. 34 near Kersey. One of the passengers in his truck was killed after being ejected during the crash.
Further Reading: How Happy are Coloradans?
What Causes Accidents in Colorado?
Did you know that Colorado drivers are 2x as likely to get into a drowsy driving crash than in a distracted driving crash involving a cellphone. According to Colorado State Patrol, in 2018 alone, there were 51 crashes in Weld County alone that were blamed on drivers falling asleep. Only Denver ranks higher with 82 drowsy driving crashes. El Paso County ranks third with 35 drowsy driving accidents in the same time period.
Colorado accidents caused by human error are all too common. In the decade between 2005 and 2015, accidents in Colorado were caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Distracted driving – 27%
- Driver inexperience – 19%
- DUI – 10%
- Aggressive driving – 8%
- Driving in an unfamiliar area – 7%
- Drowsy driving – 4%
- Cell phone use – 2%
While drowsy driving doesn’t account for the majority of accidents, safety experts believe that it does contribute to more accidents than are actually reported. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has been studying drowsy driving since 1999. They believe the problem is more prevalent than we understand and that the estimates for drowsy driving may be well over 21% of all fatal crashes.
Contact Our Experienced Arvada Car Accident Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Arvada, Northglenn, Thornton, or anywhere in Northern Colorado, it is important to contact our experienced Arvada car accident attorneys immediately. At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., our lawyers are dedicated to the belief that everyone deserves justice. Contact us at (303) 423-1770 or (866) 385-3505.
Our car accident lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims in Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Longmont, and throughout Colorado.
