Good News! Shortly before Governor MacDonnell's inauguration, he announced plans to reopen the state's highway rest stops within 90 days. As a Virginia personal injury attorney who has handled many motor vehicle accident cases over the past thirty years, I know that sleepy drivers cause car and truck accidents.
Although Virginia faces a serious budget shortfall, the State's decision last summer to close rest areas along Virginia's interstate corridors put both drivers and their passengers at risk. This was particularly worrisome in Petersburg and Southside, Virginia because two of the state's busiest interstate highways, I-95 and I-85, cut directly across the region.
Statistics have long supported the relationship between tired drivers and motor vehicle accidents. Years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) reported that driver fatigue was responsible for as many as 100,000 crashes a year. It is likely that 1500 people or more die every year in accidents caused by drivers who lose control of their vehicles when they nod off. In truth, the figures are likely higher because drivers often don't admit they fell asleep at the wheel or they don't realize they dozed off.
Reopening rest stops won't keep all tired drivers off the road. However, it may encourage some tired drivers to catch a little "shut eye." If only a handful of lives are saved every year as a result, it will be worth it.
As soon as the state removes the orange cans blocking the entrances, drivers should begin to take full advantage of the rest areas. This is true for everyone, of course, but for truckers who have operated their rigs through the night, for 11 hours straight without sleep, or for worn out long distance drivers traveling from Florida to New York, a stop and a nap are essential. This admonition is just as important for local drivers headed home early in the morning after working the night shift or after leaving a bar at 2 a.m.
Most drivers are in a rush to reach their destination. But don't forget the most important thing, to get there safely. When your head begins to drop and you catch yourself about to fall asleep at the wheel, turn up your radio, drink some coffee if you have some handy, and get off the road and into a safe parking place as quickly as possible. And, if you're on the interstate, pull off at the next rest stop. It they aren't open yet, they will be soon.
Although Virginia faces a serious budget shortfall, the State's decision last summer to close rest areas along Virginia's interstate corridors put both drivers and their passengers at risk. This was particularly worrisome in Petersburg and Southside, Virginia because two of the state's busiest interstate highways, I-95 and I-85, cut directly across the region.
Statistics have long supported the relationship between tired drivers and motor vehicle accidents. Years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) reported that driver fatigue was responsible for as many as 100,000 crashes a year. It is likely that 1500 people or more die every year in accidents caused by drivers who lose control of their vehicles when they nod off. In truth, the figures are likely higher because drivers often don't admit they fell asleep at the wheel or they don't realize they dozed off.
Reopening rest stops won't keep all tired drivers off the road. However, it may encourage some tired drivers to catch a little "shut eye." If only a handful of lives are saved every year as a result, it will be worth it.
As soon as the state removes the orange cans blocking the entrances, drivers should begin to take full advantage of the rest areas. This is true for everyone, of course, but for truckers who have operated their rigs through the night, for 11 hours straight without sleep, or for worn out long distance drivers traveling from Florida to New York, a stop and a nap are essential. This admonition is just as important for local drivers headed home early in the morning after working the night shift or after leaving a bar at 2 a.m.
Most drivers are in a rush to reach their destination. But don't forget the most important thing, to get there safely. When your head begins to drop and you catch yourself about to fall asleep at the wheel, turn up your radio, drink some coffee if you have some handy, and get off the road and into a safe parking place as quickly as possible. And, if you're on the interstate, pull off at the next rest stop. It they aren't open yet, they will be soon.
Labels: motor vehicle accidents