Any new parent will tell you that having an infant is exhausting. A fascinating new study out of Australia shows that some new mothers, and presumably fathers, experience a level of fatigue that could be analogous to impairment from intoxicants. The study was produced by the Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety.
The study noted that new mothers often go weeks or sometime even years on end with interrupted sleep. This patter of sleeplessness can have serious effects on a person's mental sharpness. The study states that this level of fatigue could create concerns regarding driving tasks.
Most interestingly, the study's authors state that a person's ability to drive could be affected to the same extent as a person with a blood alcohol concentration of .10. This level is legally intoxicated in Oregon and all other States.
As a DUI lawyer, this study is particularly interesting. It is fascinating to realize that tiredness alone could cause alcohol like effects. It is also frightening to think that a new mother could potentially be misidentified as under the influence simply based on fatigue.
Under Oregon DUI law, a driver who blows a .00 but shows the signs of intoxication can be prosecuted for driving under the influence of drugs. Imagine the nightmare for a new mother who was arrested under such a circumstance. This scenario does seem unlike. But if this profession has taught me anything it is to expect the unexpected.
