Can working a night shift affect your driving?

When you work a night shift in Louisiana, you may not always consider how your job affects your ability to drive home. Sometimes working a late shift may make it more likely that you will be drowsy as you drive home and this may increase your chances of being involved in a drowsy driving collision.

Many people work shifts that affect their sleep patterns. Medical Daily says that about 15 percent of workers are required to work rotating shifts or regularly work overnight. These changing work patterns can easily cause people to get an insufficient amount of sleep or disrupt a person’s sleep patterns. This can be dangerous, as people who do not get enough sleep are sometimes more likely to get into a car accident, especially as they drive home. One study found that roughly 28 percent of drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel.

You may think that if you have a short drive home, you are not in danger of drowsy driving. However, even driving short distances can be hazardous if you are tired, and you usually have a greater risk of being involved in a collision if you have a long drive home. This is because your senses are usually impaired if you have not gotten enough sleep. You may easily become involved in a crash if you need to brake suddenly. Sometimes you may also lose control of your car.

You may be surprised to learn that if you drive when you are tired, your reactions behind the wheel may sometimes be similar to those you would exhibit if you were drunk. Most of the time, your driving can be impaired within the first 15 minutes you are on the road.

This information is intended to educate and should not be used in place of legal advice.