All too often, we feel our eyes becoming heavy and we lose focus on the road for just a moment. In that split second of time, a tragic accident causing life altering injuries can occur.

As stated in a recent Washington Post article, “Fatigue cannot be measured likely the level of alcohol in a person’s system, but it is frequently cited by investigators as a factor in accidents in the air, on the water and on railways and highways.”

In fact, 320 fatigue-related incidents have taken nearly 750 lives in airplane accidents over the last several years. Countless more lives have been lost in car, trucking, boatingand other types of transportation accidents. In fact, in trucking accidents, fatigue is a bigger contributor to accidents than drug and alcohol use. Similarly boating, rail and car accidents have all been linked to exhaustion

When people are tired, they react more slowly, struggle with attention lapses and take more unnecessary risks. Despite the universal recognition that fatigue and transportation is an issue that needs to be addressed, few National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations and proposals have been adopted.

As NTSB regulators explain, “The problem is compounded by a culture ‘that places a lot of value on burning the midnight oil.”

Safety advocates hope that in the near future, operating under the influence of fatigue will become just as unacceptable as operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol is now.

For more information, or if you have been in any type of transportation accident, contact The Law Office of Frederick J. Sette, dedicated to helping the injured in California for more than 15 years.