Did you know that drowsy driving, a driver who falls asleep at the wheel, can be just as dangerous and devastating as drunk driving when it comes to damage, injury, and death? Drowsy driving causes at least 100,000 crashes per year, according to the U. S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These accidents result in about 40,000 individuals being injured and 1,500 deaths. However, experts at the NHTSA explain that the numbers are actually much higher-up to 6,000 fatal crashes each year. Because it is very difficult to prove a sleep-related accident, these numbers tend to be inaccurate.
Are You At Risk?
If you spend time in a vehicle, especially on highways or rural roads, you are at risk of being injured by a drowsy driver. However, some drivers are more at risk than others. Late night shift workers and commercial truck drivers are most likely to drive drowsy because they are fatigued and over-worked, and tend to have poor sleep habits. Those who drive on the road between midnight and 6 a.m. or in the late-afternoon between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. are also more likely to get sleepy since these are the times when we experience dips in our circadian rhythm (the internal clock in our body that regulates sleep). Next, those driving solo are more likely to fall asleep at the wheel since they have no one to talk to them and keep them awake. Finally, drivers with untreated sleep disorders like sleep apnea are at greater risk of having issues while driving.
What To Watch Out For
We may all experience sleepiness while driving at one point or another. In one survey, 55 percent of people polled admitted to driving while drowsy in the past year. It is critical that we all be cognizant of the signs of drowsy driving so we can take action to prevent an accident from occurring. The United States Centers for Disease Control notes the following key warning signs of drowsy driving:
- Drifting into other lanes or onto rumble strips on the shoulder
- Unable to keep eyes open
- Trouble keeping your head up
- Yawning a lot
- Difficulty recalling the last few miles driven
- Missing road signs, turns, or exits
- Driving too close to cars in front of you
By taking the following precautions, we can all avoid getting too sleepy on the road:
- Get a restful night’s sleep-most people need 7 or 8 hours each night.
- Avoid driving alone.
- Avoid drinking any alcohol before driving.
- Try not to drive late at night.
- Avoid ineffective tricks like smoking, listening to loud music, drinking caffeinated beverages, or opening a window. These are not real cures for drowsiness.
- Deal with any sleep disorders by seeing a physician about treatment options.
- Do not take medications that can make you sleepy, such as narcotic pain pills, tranquilizers, cold or cough medicine, muscle relaxants, some antidepressants, some high blood-pressure pills, and some anti-histamines.