Drowsy Driving Prevention Week: September 1 – 9, 2016

In 2008, eight-year-old Ronshay Dugans was killed when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into her school bus in Tallahassee. The truck driver was reported to be fatigued and driving recklessly. The Dugans Family campaigned for new legislation to help save lives and worked to create the Ronshay Dugans Act to bring attention to the responsibility of drivers to remain alert and sober while behind the wheel. In memory of Ronshay, the Act designates the first week in September as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week in Florida.

drowsy-driving

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is reminding motorists not to drive drowsy this Labor Day weekend as it has partnered with the Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Trucking Association. If you are having difficulty focusing, yawning repeatedly, or drifting into other lanes, it is time to pull off the road. If you are tired or fatigued, it is not worth the risk to try to rush to arrive at your destination. It is always better to rest, to drive alert, and to arrive alive. In 2015, Florida reported 23 fatalities and more than 4,000 vehicle crashes caused by driver fatigue, drowsiness and/or falling asleep at the wheel. These causalities, injuries and accidents were all unnecessary and completely preventable.

Don’t Drive Drowsy in Tampa

As families travel this Labor Day weekend, DHSMV has offered safety tips for motorists to prevent drowsy driving:

  • Avoid driving at times when you would typically sleep.
  • Avoid alcohol and medications that cause drowsiness. Always drive sober.
  • Take a brake every 100 miles or every 2 hours.
  • If you feel tired while driving, pull over in a safe place and rest.
  • Use the buddy system and switch drivers when needed.
  • Drink caffeine to increase alertness.

If you find yourself traveling on the road with another motorist who appears to be drowsy, fatigued, or sleeping behind the wheel, contact the local highway patrol as soon as possible. You could prevent a serious collision or even save your life or that of another motorist.

Experienced Tampa Accident Injury Attorneys

If you have been involved in a car accident as a result of another driver’s negligent actions, you should consult with an experienced Tampa accident injury attorney regarding your claim. Contact the personal injury accident attorneys of Capaz Law Firm at 813-440-2700 for a free consultation today.