Are Your Nighttime Habits Increasing Your Daytime Auto Accident Risk?

It's been known for quite some time now that sleepy drivers are more at-risk for Charleston auto accidents than wakeful drivers are. Many studies also put it on par with drinking and driving because it impairs cognition and reaction time so much. In a quest for a better day and a good night of sleep, many people turn to sleep aids. Unfortunately, a new study suggests this could be just as dangerous. Driving the Morning After Taking a Sleeping Pill is Like Drunk-Driving as Well In order to tally the results, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle examined records for more than 400,000 people within the state. Data was gathered from the medical records of those utilizing state care, as well as driving record information pulled from those licensed to drive in Washington. Only people who stayed in the system for at least one year from 2003 to 2008 and were at least 21 were included in the study. The final results showed that drivers who took sleeping pills have the same risk-level for an auto accident as those who drove with blood-alcohol content levels between 0.06% and 0.11%. A BAC of 0.08% is the national legal limit for drunk-driving. People Who Take Sleeping Pills are Far More Likely to Have a Wreck An NBC news report indicates that around 4% of the population takes some form of prescription sleep aid. Although it may not sound like much, it works out to about 8.6 million people. Back in 2013, the FDA noted that sleeping pills stay in a person's body much longer than previously thought, and they asked manufacturers to start recommending a smaller dose. They also reminded doctors to prescribe the lowest-possible effective dose. Despite the recommendations, those who are on the meds are still fighting daytime grogginess as a result, and their risk of having an auto accident is considerably greater. Because each drug works in a unique way, the risk associated with each one is different. The FDA also notes that women are affected more by sleep aids and specifically mentions that driving the day after taking Ambien CR, the extended-release variety, should be avoided altogether. The Most Dangerous Sleep Medications

• Zolpidem aka Ambien increases risk by 220%
• Trazodone aka Oleptro increases risk by 91%
• Temazepam aka Restoril increases risk by 27%

Charleston Auto Accident Attorney

It's been proven that driving while tired is dangerous, and often deadly, but sleeping pills are clearly not a safer alternative. If you've been hurt in a collision because a driver was impaired by a sleep aid, you're just as entitled to compensation as you would be if the person was drunk driving. Reparations awarded by a court can help cover your losses, damage to your vehicle, medical expenses, and other issues that have resulted from the other driver's negligence. For a free consultation, please contact us using our online form or speak to one of our attorneys now by calling 1(800)610-2546.