Many people in Nevada choose to use ridesharing services after a night out. They should know that many of these drivers are independent contractors who work long shifts after completing other jobs. A study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that drowsiness may pose a risk for rideshare operators.
Researchers consider the risk of drowsy drivers in the rideshare industry to be a public safety issue. Due to low fares, many customers are tempted to use rideshare services on a daily basis. In addition, many of the drivers are tempted to push past their limits and feel that they don’t need as much sleep as they truly do. Most rideshare customers don’t even think about how alert their drivers may be.
AAA estimates that drowsy drivers are a factor in about 328,000 crashes every year, including 109,000 accidents that result in injuries and 6,400 fatal crashes. In 2017-2018, the organization listed reducing crashes resulting from drowsy driving in its top 10 safety concerns.
Ridesharing company Uber has imposed a requirement that drivers go offline for six consecutive hours after 12 hours of driving time. Lyft has imposed a similar requirement that drivers take a break for six hours after 14 hours of driving time.
When a drowsy driver causes an accident, a crash victim could be left with expensive medical bills. An attorney could help someone who has been injured in a ridesharing car accident. Ridesharing companies carry insurance that is intended to cover the costs of any injuries caused by their drivers.