Drowsy Driving

Sleepiness while driving has become a serious problem and a major traffic hazard. Fatigue and sleepiness seriously impairs driver performance, creating a life threatening combination.

The Facts:
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) every year, falling asleep while driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 40,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities. These crashes most often occur during late night / early morning hours (midnight to six A.M), involve a single vehicle and a sober driver traveling alone, with the car leaving the roadway without any attempt to avoid the crash. Most often these crashes occur on high-speed roadways. Drowsy Driving is a problem most people don't stop to think about.

Fatigue may account for the fact that there are more collisions during evening rush hour traffic than during the comparable morning traffic rush. Drivers going home from work are tired, less alert and slower to react than during the morning rush. Fatigue also can cause a driver to lose his or her temper or make a rash decision. When most people think about someone being unfit to drive, they usually think of someone drunk or physically unable to drive. In fact, most people are at some time unfit to drive because they are too tired and not alert to changing road and traffic conditions.

Causes of Drowsy Driving
• Sleep loss
• Driving patterns. For example, driving between midnight and six A.M. every night.
• Use of sedating medications.
• Untreated or unrecognized sleeping disorders.
• Use of alcohol.

High-Risk Populations for Drowsy Driving
• Young people between the ages of 16 - 29, especially males.
• Shift workers whose sleep is disrupted by working nights or working long, irregular hours.
• People with untreated sleep apnea and narcolepsy.

Drowsy driving is more common than you think. About one-half of all American adult drivers - approximately 100 million people - admit to driving drowsy in the past year; two in ten say they actually fell asleep behind the wheel.
Drowsy driving is more prevalent among males (56% males vs. 45% females), especially young males (16-29 years old).

How to Prevent Drowsy Driving
• Plan ahead to get sufficient sleep before hitting the road. The average person requires about 8 hours of sleep a night.
• Avoid alcohol and medications (over-the-counter and prescribed) that may impair performance. Alcohol interacts with fatigue, increasing its effects - much like drinking on an empty stomach.
• Limit driving between midnight and six A.M.
• If driving on a long trip, schedule regular stops, say every 100 miles or two hours.
• Plan to drive long trips with a companion. Passengers can help look for early warning signs of fatigue or switch drivers when needed.
• Passengers should stay awake to talk to the driver. As soon as a driver becomes sleepy, he or she should stop driving and either let a licensed passenger drive or stop for some sleep before continuing.
• Drink coffee or another source of caffeine. Caffeine can promote short-term alertness, but it takes about 30 minutes for it to enter the bloodstream. Blasting a radio, opening a window, or similar "tricks" to stay awake DO NOT work.

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