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Does too much caffeine increase car accident risk?

On Behalf of | Mar 3, 2023 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

If you enjoy drinking coffee, you probably appreciate the jolt of energy you feel after having a couple of cups. While coffee has some caffeine, many other drinks on the market today contain high levels of it. Unfortunately, according to the National Library of Medicine, energy drink manufacturers do not have to tell you how much caffeine their products contain.

Consuming too much caffeine can be hazardous to your health, especially if you are pregnant or have certain gastrointestinal disorders. Even worse, excessive caffeine consumption might increase your chances of having a serious car accident.

Drowsy driving

Drowsy driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. In fact, according to Bankrate, drowsy driving is responsible for roughly 100,000 car accidents every single year. While caffeine certainly can mask drowsiness, it does nothing to eliminate its underlying cause. That is, the only way to deal with drowsiness is to get some quality sleep.

Increased anxiety

Excessive caffeine consumption can make a person anxious and jittery. Even if you have been driving for years or decades, anxiety can cause you to drive unpredictably or to take unnecessary driving-associated risks. Moreover, drinking too much caffeine can contribute to road rage, especially if it makes you not think clearly.

While you can monitor and limit the caffeine you consume, you obviously have no control over what other drivers drink. Ultimately, if you suffer a catastrophic injury in a caffeine-related motor vehicle accident, you might have legal grounds to seek substantial financial compensation from the over-caffeinated driver.