Drowsy Driving Behind Many Auto Accidents, NHTSA Officials Say
Apr 28, 2015
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) April 28, 2015 – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced new efforts to combat drowsy driving, which it said causes more car accidents than most people realize.
Mark Rosekind, the head of the NHTSA, said that the problem of driving while fatigued is not receiving as much attention as those of driving while drunk or distracted. The agency, he promised, will add to its research and public awareness efforts to change that.
“Drowsy driving is undeniably the cause of many car accidents that result in serious injury or death,” said Robert Joyce, a Tampa car accident attorney with Joyce & Reyes. “People are aware that drunk driving and distracted driving are extremely dangerous, but many people drive while fatigued and do not realize the harm they could cause.”
Rosekind cited current estimates, which indicate that driver fatigue causes between 2.0 percent and 20.0 percent of traffic fatalities each year. However, he added that part of the difficulty in addressing the problem is that newer data is needed.
The NHTSA previously reported that drowsy driving was a factor in crashes that caused 1,500 fatalities per year. However, a newer study by the National Transportation Safety Board indicated that between 4,000 and 7,000 lives are lost each year because of driver fatigue. Rosekind said additional research would show the true extent of the problem.
Rosekind stated that the agency will develop public awareness strategies that target populations that are particularly vulnerable to drowsy driving, and that it would also examine technological solutions. Rosekind noted that part of the solution will include high-tech items — such as in-car devices that can detect driver behavior and issue warnings before a vehicle is about to drift off the roadway.
Learn more at http://www.joyceandreyespa.com
Joyce and Reyes Law Firm, P.A.
307 S Hyde Park Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
Call: 813.251.2007
- Exhibit at Florida Capitol heightens awareness of brain injuries
During the month of March, an exhibit in the grand rotunda of the Florida State Capitol featured 100 masks created by survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Brain Injury Association of Florida (BIAF) organized the exhibit, “The Faces of Brain Injury,” to raise awareness and educate the public about the needs of brain injury […] - Widow of slain Florida cyclist files wrongful death lawsuit
A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the widow of Walter Reyes, a bicyclist who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Florida on January 21. Maribel Reyes filed the lawsuit against Alejandro Alvarez, the alleged driver, and Rodrigo Alvarez, his father and the person to whom the vehicle was registered. Miami-Dade police said […] - Family files wrongful death lawsuit over Tampa Bay motorcyclist’s death
The family of Keith Williamson, a motorcyclist who was killed in a crash, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and the Clearwater Police Department. The crash involved a high-speed chase on the Courtney Campbell Causeway Bridge in the Tampa Bay area. Williamson was riding at the front of a […] - Settlement reached in Florida brain injury case
All parties have reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by the families of two teenage girls who suffered brain injuries after a parasailing accident at a Florida beach resort. Alexis Fairchild and Sidney Good were both 17 and vacationing in Florida in 2013 when their parasail broke loose from a motorboat, causing them to […] - Florida distracted driving law may be strengthened
If a series of bills passes in Florida state legislature, the state’s texting while driving laws may be strengthened. A state senator and two state representatives have filed bills that would make texting while driving a primary offense, add penalties when a fatal crash occurs because of a driver using a cell phone, and ban […]
