Many persons think nothing about driving when they are tired or sleepy. In most cases, these people don’t realize that their drowsiness is serious enough to cause an accident. You might believe that you are just a little tired, and that this will not affect your long journey back home. However, you could be wrong, according to our auto accident lawyers.

Look out for these factors that could raise your risk of sleep deprivation. Avoid driving if you think these factors apply to you.

You are sleep- deprived, and have slept for less than six hours in a 24-hour period.

You have recently been suffering from poor quality of sleep or insomnia.

You have been driving long distances without rest. Stop driving if you have not taken rest for many hours. Remember to pull over somewhere safe and take some rest.

You have been putting in many hours at work. You could be at risk of sleep deprivation and not even know it. According to some estimates, working more than 60 hours a week could increase your risk of a drowsy driving accident by 40%. Remember, you may not feel that drowsy when you’re actually at work, but could begin to feel fatigued again when you’re on your way back home.

You are currently working on more than one job. Understand that working these many hours could automatically eat into your sleep time, leaving you sleep-deprived and fatigued.

If you’re on sedative medications like cough and cold medications, anti-hypertensives, and antidepressants, you are at a higher risk of drowsiness while driving.

If you are driving at a time when you’re normally asleep, like late at night, or mid-afternoon, then your chances of dozing off at the wheel are automatically higher.

To discuss your claim after being involved in a drowsy driving accident, speak to a Bronx personal injury lawyer.