Drowsy Driving - 944 Words

SLEEP DEPRIVATION DRIVING Nothing could prepare me for the news I received six years ago about the unexpected death of my close friend Joey. I will never forget the night he died. How I had been with him just minutes before, and how his death was totally unnecessary and preventable. A few weeks before Christmas in 2001, Joey, myself and a few of my other co-workers were closing down the local restaurant we worked at while attending Umass Lowell. It had been a busy night, and we didnt end up finishing work until 1am. Having worked all day, we were all extremely tired, and could not wait to go home. Most of us were staying in Lowell at the time, but Joey had chosen to commute to campus and therefore had to travel out to Reading. I†¦show more content†¦On a more positive note, gains are being made towards the direction of holding those presumed guilty of drowsy driving accountable for their reckless behavior. Unfortunately, it has taken a series of deaths in order to trigger this movement. One of the first laws developed (Maggies Law,) was done so by the mother of 20 year old Maggie McDonnell who was hit head-on by a van driven by a drowsy driver in 1997. Mrs. McDonnell (the mother of Maggie,) was infuriated to learn that there was not a single law created to address the issue of vehicular homicide as a result of sleep deprivation, and therefore set forth to create one. Her efforts were successful, and in 2003 the nations first drowsy driving law was implemented. Maggies Law ammends the spectrum of vehicular homicide to include those who who operarte a vehicle while sleep deprived. Under Maggies Law, offenders can be prosecuted if there is proof beyond a doubt that the operator fell asleep while driving, or was awake for more than 24 consecutive hours. Conviction under this law can carry a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. (Weaver 1). As a future sleep technician, and a person who has suffered personally from the aftermath of a friend falling asleep at the wheel, the topic of drowsy driving is one concerns me. Studies show that there has been a significant rise in sleep-related crashes since the initiation of Maggies Law in 2003, but only one recordedShow MoreRelatedTraffic Safety Essay4727 Words   |  19 PagesAdministration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or propertyÂâ€"a traffic and not a criminal offense like road rage. Examples include speeding or driving too fast for conditions, improper lane changing, tailgating and improper passing. 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