Most New York drivers understand how dangerous it is to drive while sleepy. It can impede a person’s ability to react quickly and make good decisions when behind the wheel. March 15, 2019 was designated as World Sleep Day. Its purpose is to bring awareness to the dangers a person faces when they get behind the wheel while tired.
Many experts agree that if a person is awake for more than 18 hours straight, their impairment is equivalent to a person who exceeds the blood alcohol limit for drunk driving. An automotive manufacturer is using the ‘Sleep Suit” to help drivers understand the impact that tiredness can have on them when they are behind the wheel.
This suit comes equipped with special goggles that are designed to imitate the microsleeps a person may experience when they are driving while drowsy. These are involuntary and uncontrollable responses to sleepiness that may mean a driver is driving blind for 10 seconds or more. These microsleeps can occur while an individual’s eyes are still open.
The hope is that suits will impress upon drivers just how dangerous it can be to get behind the wheel when they are tired. It could help them develop a greater respect for the importance of sleep. The suit is connected to an app on a smartphone. The goggles are designed to simulate the way the brain shuts down when a person is driving while tired. The specially designed arm and ankle bands, cap, and vest work together to help the driver understand the impact that sleep deprivation has on them.
If a person finds themselves the victim of an accident caused by someone who was negligent and got behind the wheel while tired, they may benefit from the services of a personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer might help their client evaluate and assemble a civil claim. They may use evidence collected by local authorities, eyewitness accounts, and camera footage to accomplish this goal.