As a person continues driving to their destination, a vehicle near them that swerves all over the road and fails to stop at a light can cause them a large amount of stress.
Drowsy driving can often lead someone to slam into a car or other vehicle. When a collision happens on the road, knowing the signs of someone driving without a proper night’s rest can help someone think about what to do next.
Long work hours
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, truckers or other workers with long hours can neglect to sleep the proper amount and fail to focus on the traffic around them while driving. With this delay in their reaction due to fatigue, they may not turn or slow down in time to avoid an accident with another vehicle.
Time of the day
Drowsy drivers may choose to keep going instead of pulling over when the sun goes down and visibility is worse for people on the road. Even a few seconds of confusion or distraction can lead to a tired driver swerving into another lane and sideswiping a car.
How dark it is outside contributes to these actions, since it is harder to see objects or moving vehicles in the distance with little or no light.
Attention span
Drowsy drivers may also not use headlights or turn signals, since they could be fighting off sleep instead of paying attention to their vehicles. If a person sees a driver blinking rapidly or nodding their head down multiple times, it could be a sign that they are falling asleep.
Taking notice of drowsy drivers and what traffic laws they disobey is important even after an accident.