Louisiana State Police are investigating the seventh traffic fatality of 2016 – and the second drowsy driving-related wreck – on a single stretch of State Highway 27 in the western part of the Bayou State.
Between Sulpher and DeQuincy, S.H. 27 is very windy in the south and there is an elbow curve in the north. It was in this curvy part not far from DeQuincy that 23-year-old Jasmine Phillips crossed from the northbound to the southbound side. “We suspect Ms. Phillips nodded off,” commented Sergeant James Anderson of LSP Troop D. She collided with a southbound truck driven by 23-year-old Cody Massie, of Singer. Ms. Phillips was declared dead at the scene; Mr. Massie was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries. In February 2016, 18-year-old Charlee Smith, of DeQuincy, crossed from the northbound to the southbound side at almost the exact same spot. She collided with 17-year-old Lauren LeBlanc, of DeQuincy. Both women were killed almost instantly, and authorities speculate that fatigued driving was the cause of that crash as well. [Read more…] about Deadman’s Curve?
drowsy driving
Landmark Fatigued Driving Report
Nationwide, drowsy driving may cause as many as one in five car crash fatalities, according to a recent report.
The Governors Highway Safety Association says that an estimated 83.6 million Americans get behind the wheel every day, even though they are dangerously fatigued. Industry experts, insurance company experts, and other professionals all collaborated on the 73-page study. In addition to the side-effects of drowsy driving, which include inattention, slow reaction time, and reduced decision-making ability, the report examined best practices for dealing with the problem, like the protocols that exist in Utah, Texas, and New York. Study authors were especially critical of commercial truck driver rules. Although the federal government has established limits for weekly hours of service, “repeated efforts to modify HOS regulations have resulted in the suspension of some provisions.” Additionally, the rules may be too generic to be effective, the report added. [Read more…] about Landmark Fatigued Driving Report