While we often praise our doctors and various medical professionals for their ability to help and save lives, we often forget how much they do and how little sleep they do it off of. According to research, doctors are frequently suffering fatigue while on the job, often suppressed with high dosages of caffeine to accomplish their doctoral duties. What is a great concern, however, is the fact that not only is a doctors fatigue a potential threat to patients and staff at on the hospital grounds, but they are also a great danger on the roads after their shift is over.
The Mayo Clinic conducted a study looking into the very topic of fatigue among practicing doctors and what they discovered was shocking. According to their findings, nearly 11% of doctor’s interns stated that they were involved in a car accident during their time of training, and 43% of them said they came very close to an accident because of their fatigue. This is a frightening statistic, as doctors who are dedicating their life to save others, may at the end of the day be placing even more people at risk due to fatigue.
Research also shows that driving while truly fatigued, is just as bad if not worse than a drunk driver. According to Drowsy Driving, a national Sleep Foundation, they state that extreme tiredness has the same effects on a person as excessive amounts of alcohol does. For example, sleepiness affects a driver’s ability to be aware on the road, as well as their response time to a sudden incident. Sleepiness is also known to create a sense of short term memory loss, making the ability to process information much more difficult. Overall, tired drivers are dangerous drivers and even doctors are known to make the mistake of getting behind the wheel, exhausted.
If you or someone you know has been recently been involved in a car accident, caused by a tired or drunk driver, don’t wait another moment to take legal action. Contact Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers today to learn more about fighting for the compensation you deserve after an injury.