A "fatigued driver" means exactly what one would think. It is defined as a driver who is tired, to such an extent that it impairs the driver's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle on a public road.
The National Transportation Safety Board has recently shifted its focus to the prevention of accidents caused by drowsy drivers. According to surveys that have been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one out of every four adult drivers who responded reported that they had fallen asleep behind the wheel at least one in the previous 30 days. Statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that in 2013, at least 800 deaths and 44,000 injuries were attributable to drowsy driving accidents in 2013. In response to this serious problem, the NTSB has included the reduction of these types of accidents in its "Most Wanted" list for 2016.
Other desired measures appearing on the list include the promotion of crash-avoidance technology on commercial and passenger vehicles, the reduction of driving while impaired and the improvement of oversight regarding railway safety. A former chairperson of the NTSB praised the agency for promoting these issues but noted that, as accidents kill more than 30,000 people each year, further improvement is necessary.
Driving while fatigued can be very dangerous, not only to the motorist but to others who are on the road at the time. A person who is injured in an accident caused by such a negligent driver may want to have the help of an attorney in seeking compensation for medical expenses and other losses.
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