You’re talking to a friend late at night when all of a sudden he nods off. He awakens with a sudden start a couple seconds later, completely unaware that anything unusual has happened. You have a good laugh, and that’s the end of the story.
When a person nods off behind the wheel, however, the consequences can be disastrous. Despite what you may have heard, you won’t always know when you are beginning to fall asleep — that’s just a myth.
The truth is that, if you are drowsy enough, you might actually fall asleep for a few seconds without even knowing about it! This can be extremely dangerous if you’re a long distance truck driver.
Other myths that you should be aware of regarding drowsy driving include:
- MYTH: Midnight is the worst time for drowsy driving accidents. Actually, just before dawn is the worst time, with most Maryland drowsy driving accidents occurring between the hours of 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM.
- MYTH: I can keep myself awake. When your body is tired enough, you will fall asleep no matter how much you will yourself to stay awake.
- MYTH: Caffeine will keep me awake. While caffeine and other tactics, such as listening to the radio, might appear to help for a short time, these are only placebos. In reality, they will do nothing to keep you awake should your body truly need the rest.
- MYTH: “Nodding off” for a second or two won’t do any harm. Within seconds, you can cause a serious Maryland truck accident that does irreparable damage to yourself and others. Play it safe and take a rest!
If you’ve already been the victim of an accident, we sympathize with you, and we can help. Call our offices at 1-800-875-9700 to speak with a skilled Maryland truck accident attorney who can help you get compensation and get back control of your life.