In Maine and across the nation, thousands of car accidents happen every year due to tired drivers. This is especially true at this time of the year when the nights get longer and earlier after daylight saving time ends. So, just how dangerous are drowsy drivers on our roads? Here's what you need to know.
How common are drowsy driver accidents nationwide?
Each year, an estimated 328,000 car accidents occur nationwide due to drowsy drivers or drivers who fall asleep at the wheel, resulting in approximately 109,000 injuries and 6,400 fatalities, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that was cited by the National Safety Council (NSC).
Alarmingly, those numbers could be even worse. That’s because many accidents that are actually caused by tired drivers are never attributed to drowsy driving. As a result, many collisions caused by tired drivers are never included among these statistics.
Are tired driver accidents a problem in Maine?
Like many other states, Maine's exact drowsy driving accident data can be hard to come by since driver fatigue is often not listed as a contributing factor to an accident by police who respond to and investigate the collision.
However, one study by ValuePenguin estimated that 5.9 percent of car accident fatalities in Maine occurred due to drowsy drivers. As a result, Maine was ranked the second-deadliest state in the nation for drowsy driving accidents.
How drowsy drivers cause dangerous crashes
Here’s a breakdown of how tired drivers contribute to crashes—and why these behaviors are so dangerous:
Closing their eyes while driving
Tired drivers often experience brief "microsleeps," where their eyes close for just a few seconds. At highway speeds, even a two-second lapse can mean traveling hundreds of feet without seeing the road. This dramatically increases the risk of rear-end collisions, drifting off the road, or hitting pedestrians and cyclists.
Delayed reactions due to inattention
Fatigue slows reaction times, making it harder for drivers to respond to sudden changes like a vehicle stopping ahead or a pedestrian crossing. This delay can turn what might have been a close call into a devastating accident.
Drifting into adjacent lanes or oncoming traffic
Drowsy drivers often struggle to maintain their lane, leading to dangerous side-swipe accidents or catastrophic head-on collisions when crossing into oncoming traffic. This is particularly common on highways and rural roads where speeds are higher.
Poor decision-making while driving
Fatigue affects judgment, causing drivers to make reckless decisions like speeding, tailgating, or misjudging gaps in traffic. These split-second miscalculations can result in severe, life-altering crashes.
Failing to apply the brakes
When a driver is dozing off or fully asleep at the wheel, they may fail to brake before a collision. This leads to high-speed crashes with greater impact forces, which often result in more serious injuries or fatalities.
Lack of sleep makes drivers more dangerous
All it takes is a little less sleep to dramatically increase the odds of a tired driver causing a collision. Specifically, if a driver had 7 hours of sleep the night before, they are twice as likely to cause an accident as someone who had 8 hours of sleep, according to a study by the AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety. According to the same study, if a driver had 5 hours of sleep the night before, they are five times more likely to be involved in an accident than a driver who slept 7 hours.
Another way to look at the problem is tired drivers are just as dangerous as drunk drivers. When someone has been awake for 20 hours, their reaction times while driving are just as slow as someone with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent, the legal limit in most states, according to The Sleep Foundation.
Who’s most at risk for drowsy driving accidents?
Certain drivers are more likely to experience fatigue behind the wheel, putting themselves and others at greater risk of accidents:
- Long-distance drivers: Long-haul truck drivers, road-trippers, and others traveling long distances are especially vulnerable to drowsy driving. Skipping rest breaks, driving through the night, and pushing past natural fatigue can lead to exhaustion, impairing their ability to stay alert and react quickly.
- Nighttime drivers: Driving at night adds another layer of danger, as reduced visibility makes it harder to identify hazards on the road. Combined with the body’s natural sleep rhythms, which peak at night, fatigue becomes more likely, and the risk of drowsy driving accidents significantly increases.
- Shift workers and employees with long hours: People who work irregular or extended shifts, including truck drivers, delivery workers, healthcare professionals, and factory employees, often experience fatigue. Strict schedules and tight deadlines from employers can exacerbate this risk, leaving workers more prone to dangerous lapses in attention.
- Drivers who ignore fatigue warning signs: Many drivers know when they’re too tired to drive but choose to keep going. Ignoring clear signs of fatigue—such as frequent yawning, heavy eyelids, or drifting out of lanes—can lead to preventable crashes. Recognizing and addressing these warning signs is critical to road safety.
Injured in a Maine crash?
Contact a car accident lawyer in Portland or Waterville today
Many drowsy driving accidents in Portland or other Maine communities might initially seem straightforward. After all, the other driver was clearly at fault because they were tired or asleep at the wheel. Even so, you would be surprised how often drowsy driving accidents can become complicated legal cases.
When this happens, you need a Maine car accident lawyer from Jabar LaLiberty, LLC, on your side. We have years of experience handling complex cases involving negligent drivers. As a result, we know exactly what evidence to look for to build a strong case. Our case results prove this, including $530,000 for a car accident injury victim.
We also offer legal representation on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay us nothing unless we win your case.
Get the law firm that gets results for injured Mainers. Give us a call or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a car accident attorney you can count on in a crisis. We have two offices conveniently located in Portland and Waterville, Maine.
"I was in a car accident. I went online and found Attorney Jabar. I called and left a message and they got back quickly. They have been so great with all the work that was done with my accident issues. Keeping me updated and made sure that all paperwork needed was taken care of and keeping me in the loop. Their office personnel was the best I have ever dealt with. I am very appreciative of all the hard work they have done for me over the time of the helping me with this situation. I would refer anyone to this office to assist them with their issues." — Renee G.
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