Insomnia Can Lead to Fatal Car Accidents

Healthy sleep habits are vital to all aspects of life. Sleep helps us maintain our physical and mental well-being, as it is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. In addition to having a negative effect on one’s health, a lack of sleep can present a serious risk to one’s safety. A recent study suggests that there is a significant link between insomnia and fatal car accidents.
Researchers examined the number of unintentional injury deaths in the U.S., which totals more than 126,000 annually. About 33,000 of those fatal injuries are the result of a car accident. Researchers focused on a group of 54,000 men and women between ages 20 and 89, and analyzed public records to determine their cause of death. Of the 277 unintentional injury deaths that were recorded in the 13-year follow-up period, 57 of those were fatal car accident injuries.

Difficulty Sleeping Common among Accident Victims

Insomnia proved to be a common factor in many of these cases. Moreover, the likelihood of a fatal accident seemed to increase with the severity of the insomnia. Those exhibiting the most insomnia symptoms were almost three times as likely to have a fatal unintentional injury as those without insomnia, even after considering other factors such as use of alcohol or sleep medication. The most common symptom of insomnia is difficulty falling asleep, which was a contributing factor in 34% of car accident fatalities. Those who have trouble falling asleep are more than twice as likely to be fatally injured in a car accident as those who fall asleep easily.

The researchers concluded that addressing sleep issues can prevent unintentional injuries and keep drivers safer on the road. Increasing public awareness and making treatment available to insomnia sufferers may go a long way toward preventing drowsy driving fatal car accidents. Drowsy drivers should stay off the road to avoid putting other drivers at risk. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident involving a drowsy driver, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you explore your legal options.