ABC News: The proposal, submitted to the Tennessee General Assembly Wednesday by State Senator Becky Duncan Massey, would make driving while fatigued or with no sleep for a 24 hour period a crime if it leads to another driver being killed.
Massey said she created the bill after a concerned citizen had a close family member killed by a drowsy driver.
McMahan Law Firm attorney Jay Kennamer says it would be difficult to prove that someone has been sleep-deprived while driving. He believes the proposed law is impractical.
We also spoke with Dr. Beth Ann Malow who is the director of the sleep division at Vanderbilt. “Our judgment when we’re sleep deprived is not good. In other words, we’re more apt to take risks,” Dr. Malow says.
Dr. Malow also added it is possible to see how much sleep someone is getting with certain technology, but it’s not as practical as a breathalyzer test.
