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I agree that it can be just as dangerous, but how would you enforce a law like that? How would you even write the law? I could be dead to the world, but a siren and flashing lights would get me wide awake.
I've driven while sleepy way too many times. I haven't for quite awhile, but I'm guilty.
Luckly for me I can tell when I am getting to the point where I could fall asleep. More than once I have pulled to the side of the road and taken a 30 minute nap.
They have tried enforcing a similar law with truckdrivers with little success.Doing so with the rest wil be even more of a burden and cost.Good idea but enacting laws themseloves mean little wiout the means of enforcing them.
When I was going to school full time and working full time I realized I would wake up in my bed not remembering leaving the parking lot at school. It wasn't a long drive and there was no traffic but I saw how bad an idea it was. I wasnt far from the end of the sememster, so I finished, but had a few sodas before leaving. Didn't help much but I remembered getting home.
I also react badly to all allergy meds. They zonk me out, then when I wake up I feel like I'm in this floaty world. If I had to take one, I would stay home until clarity returned. My boss really didn't understand but would have had I gotten to work.
Last time I saw the california booklet it specifically said its illegal to drive impared. However you got impared. You could be very upset, tired, had taken over the counter meds, or a lot of things but if you don't see the car next to you and can't react fast enough your stiill at fault. And the injured and dead are still injured and dead. The state may not be able to measure or enforce this, but WE have a responsibility to know before we get behind the wheel of a potential killing machine if we're aware and functioning enough to be driving it.
I once read in an article that driving a car with too little sleep is equal to driving under the influence of alcohol? Do you agree with this and that the penalties should be the same? And why don't people take this issue more seriously?
I once worked with a Nurse who had no business driving home after her 12 hour shift. Between work and her house, she fell asleep, and luckily, woke up in a vacant dirt lot. Her car had jumped the curb. She could have crossed over the line and killed someone.
I know, personally, there's been times I prayed like the devil that my eyes and body would hold up until I saw my driveway.
I would love to take this issue seriously, however, it isn't possible.
The person who is leaving a 12-16 hour shift and driving home, is not out for a joy ride. Once you go down that road, you are going to have to start evaluating cops that work doubles and doctors that have been working 24 hours straight. Crap, I work ungodly hours and sleep in shifts. It's 2 hours here and 3 hours there and sometimes I get a straight 5 hours. Moreso when school is in session. The jobs that necessitate those kind of hours do not get an option, as the norm. People do it because if it they do not do it, it does not get done. Not getting it done is just not an option.
Then your going to have to start looking at those corporations and businesses that realize productivity is best primarily on a straight shift and sleeping at night, but are far more worried about production. Whole big old can of worms you might have to contend with there.
So, no, it should not be treated as the same. If people insist on it then I want all of it to be looked at. Not just what someone feels is the visable threat.
Try waking up WHILE DRIVING A MOTORCYCLE! The adrenalin completely erases fatigue.
I believe that many inexplicable accidents are caused by fatigue. Possibly more than caused by DUI.
Been there, done that....not fun at all. The one time it happened to me I was so scared I had to pull over to get my nerves back. I stopped at the next gas station and loaded up on caffeine.
I remember another time in the military when I had some leave time right after water survival school in Florida. I drove all day and all night from Biscayne Bay to Minneapolis. I was o.k. until I hit Wisconsin. I started nodding off, and then after awhile I was seeing giant spider webs on the freeway overpasses. I wanted to get home pretty bad, but once again I used some common sense and pulled into a cafe and drank a bunch of coffee.
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