Washington State Patrol Warns Against Driving Drowsy

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As the weather finally starts to warm up, people have begun to venture outdoors for all kinds of fun activities like boating and hiking. As a Bellevue personal injury attorney working at a Kent wrongful death law firm I know that summertime, for a lot of people means taking a road trip to get out of the city to enjoy the great outdoors. Washington State Patrol recently released a statement advising drivers of the necessity of getting enough sleep before heading out on a longer trip. Sleepiness can impair your driving abilities so much that in extreme cases impairment is equal to that of a drunk driver with a BAC of .08%, which is the legal limit.http://www.plg-pllc.com/resources/articles/top-ways-to-spot-a-drunk-driver/

Here are some warning signs to know when it’s time to get off the road and get some sleep:

You are have problems focusing, are blinking a lot or your eyelids become very heavy
You are continuing to drift out of your lane and/or hit the rumble strips along the side of the road
If you can’t remember the last few miles of your drive
Miss your exit
You can’t stop yawning
You roll down the windows and turn up the radio to keep yourself awake

If you start to notice any or all of these warning signs find a place to pull off the road as soon as you can. Stopping to rest for 15-20 minutes can be the difference between you getting to your destination alive or getting into an auto accident and causing personal injuries to yourself and other innocent victims. Road trips can be a lot of fun when you have friends with you, but a road trip can be very dangerous and even fatal if you aren’t well rested and ready to tackle the open road.