Drowsy driving is one of the most common driving hazards, but new data highlights the dangers associated with drowsy driving. In fact, research shows that drowsy driving is as dangerous as driving while drunk.
A study conducted by researchers in Australia found that being awake for 18 hours causes driving impairment equal to a blood alcohol concentration of .05; after 24 hours awake, the a driver is impaired as much as if he or she had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10, which is considered to be legally drunk in all states.
Moreover, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, people who sleep 6-7 hours a night are twice as likely to be involved in a car accident as those sleeping 8 hours or more, and people sleeping less than 5 hours are 4-5 times as likely to be in a car accident.
According to an article in Safety and Health Magazine, previous studies have suggested tha
t drowsy driving plays a role in as many as 25 percent of fatal auto accidents every year, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year 100,000 car crashes are the caused by driver fatigue, resulting in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.
Who Is Most At Risk for Driver Fatigue?
Certain drivers seem to be more susceptible to drowsy driving risks. In fact, a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that drowsy driving is more prevalent among men, younger drivers, binge drinkers, and those who do not always wear a seatbelt.
The CDC study was created in order to assess drivers' habits and behaviors with respect to fatigue since, to date, there has been limited information available about the association between drowsy driving and other risk factors. In the study, the CDC surveyed 92,102 respondents in the CDC 2011-2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Four percent of respondents reported they had nodded off or fallen asleep, even just for a brief moment, while driving in the previous 30 days. Men were more likely than women to drive drowsy, and those who didn't always wear a seatbelt were more likely to drive drowsy than those who did.
A 2002 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation also made the following findings about those who are more likely to drive while fatigued:
• Adults between the ages of 18-29 are more likely to drive drowsy than older drivers (71% of adults age 18-29 vs. 52% of adults age 30-64).
• Men are more likely than women to drive while drowsy (56% vs. 45%).
• Men are almost twice as likely as women to fall asleep while driving (22% vs. 12%).
• Adults with children in the household are more likely to drive drowsy than those without children (59% vs. 45%).
• Shift workers are more likely than those who work a regular daytime schedule to drive to or from work drowsy at least a few days a month (36% vs. 25%).
As a result of the survey's findings, CDC researchers are recommending interventions to increase safety belt use, reduce binge drinking, and promote healthy sleep habits in order to lower the rate of drowsy driving crashes.
