Redmond Kirkland Drunk Driving Lawyer: Washington State Patrol DUI (of tiredness) Press Release Part I

Redmond Kirkland Drunk Driving Lawyer:  Washington State Patrol DUI (of tiredness) Press Release Part I

The following is a Press Release by the Washington State Patrol warning drivers not to drive if they are tired.  It raises an important issue:  If you have had a "little" to drink (ie. 2 to 3 drinks) and drive, are sleepy, then stopped and eventually arrested for DUI with no BAC test, are you driving while under the influence or driving while drowsy? 

Getting Enough Sleep Can Save Your Life on the Roads

June 1, 2011

Wenatchee Washington State Patrol (WSP) Captain Karen DeWitt urges you to get enough sleep before making a trip.  Over Memorial weekend, Wenatchee WSP investigated three collisions involving drowsy drivers, two which resulted in fatal injuries and the third resulting in serious injuries to the driver. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving results in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and more than 100,000 accidents each year. Their study shows that drowsy driving involves about one in six deadly crashes; one in eight crashes resulting in occupant hospitalization, and one in fourteen crashes in which a vehicle was towed. 

Warning Signs: Feeling Sleepy? Stop Driving!

If you start to do the following, it's time to get off the road. Find a safe place to pull over:

• Have problems focusing, blink frequently and/or have heavy eyelids;
• Drift from your lane, swerve, tailgate and/or hit rumble strips;
• Have trouble remembering the last few miles driven;
• Miss exits or traffic signs;
• Have trouble keeping your head up;
• Yawn repeatedly;
• Or finding yourself rolling down the windows or turning up the radio.

Sleepiness can impair drivers by causing slower reaction times, vision impairment, lapses in judgment and delays in processing information. In fact, studies show that being awake for more than 20 hours results in an impairment equal to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08%, the legal limit in all states. It is also possible to fall into a 3-4 second micro-sleep without realizing it which equates to traveling the length of a football field while unconscious at 65 MPH. 

Prevent a fall-asleep crash by getting enough sleep the night before and by knowing the warning signs of sleepiness and using appropriate countermeasures.

For information on your Washington State DUI / Drunk Driving, Everett DUI or Lywnnood DUI / Drunk Driving or your Snohomish County DUI, King County DUI, Skagit County DUI, Island County DUI or Whatcom County DUI  please contact our Washington State DUI attorneys and Bothell DUI Lawyers for a free consultation at 425-493-1115, email us at david@davidjollylaw.com, or check out our main website at http://www.washdui.com or www.mukilteodui.com, www.everett-dui.co, www.marysville-dui.com, www.dui-bothell.com, or www.anacortesdui.com.  We represent DUI clients in every court in Western Washington including Seattle DUI cases, Kirkland DUI cases, Redmond DUI cases, Shoreline DUI cases, Lynnwood DUI cases, Everett DUI cases, Mukilteo DUI cases, Marysville DUI cases, Mt. Vernon DUI cases, Anacortes DUI cases, and Bellingham DUI cases. 

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