A person who has not had enough sleep is at risk of falling asleep while driving a car, truck or other motor vehicle. The dangers associated with falling asleep while behind the wheel of a fast moving vehicle on a highway surrounded by other vehicles is obvious, but fatigue and drowsiness can create other dangers, including:
Impaired ability to pay attention and focus on the task of driving and what is happening on the road.
Slowed ability to react to road conditions and events, including affecting a driver’s ability to brake suddenly or steer around hazards.
Impaired decision-making ability.
Impaired ability to pay attention and focus on the task of driving and what is happening on the road. Slowed ability to react to road conditions and events, including affecting a driver’s ability to brake suddenly or steer around hazards. Impaired decision-making ability. It is not just a lack of sleep that can impair the abilities of a person to drive. Medications that cause drowsiness can increase the risk of a driver causing an accident as can a sleep apnea or other sleep disorders.