You tossed and turned all night long despite popping a sleeping pill before going to bed at midnight. Seven hours later, your alarm blares and you groggily pull yourself out of bed. Despite a cold shower and two large cups of coffee, your eyes are still blurry as you get behind the wheel to drive to work.
Sound familiar? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. Drowsy driving is a bigger problem than many people think and could be just as dangerous as drunk driving according to new research.
We’ve put together the sobering statistics on drowsy driving, including some serious signs that you shouldn’t be behind the wheel. Keep reading to get all the facts and some tips on how to stay safe on the road.
Drowsy Driving Statistics: What Are the Facts?
Drowsy driving is the dangerous act of getting in the driver’s seat when you are tired or fatigued, either due to lack of sleep, medications, shift work, alcohol, or a sleep disorder. Being drowsy can impact your ability to make good decisions, slow reaction time, and make it more difficult to pay attention to the road.
Did You Know?
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) estimates that drowsy driving was responsible for 91,000 crashes, 50,000 injuries, and 795 deaths in 2017, with a total of 4,111 fatalities between 2013 and 2017 (although the total number may be much higher based on the way these crashes are reported).
- According to Matthew Walker, the author of “Why We Sleep”, 1.2 million accidents are caused by sleepiness every year in the United States, and “vehicle accidents caused by drowsy driving exceed those caused by alcohol and drugs combined.”
- A 2019 American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey of 2,003 U.S. adults discovered that 45% have struggled to stay awake while driving.
- A 2002 survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 37% of the driving population admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel with 29% saying this happened within the previous year and 10% saying it happened within the past month.
- The annual cost of drowsy driving to society is estimated to be as high as 109 billion dollars annually, not including property damage.
- A new study by AAA found that missing out on just a couple of hours of sleep can double your crash risk while missing three to four hours increases the risk by 400%.
- According to the NSC, going more than 20 hours without sleep is equivalent to having the U.S. legal limit of a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08%.
- According to the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, “one beer had the same impact on a person with four hours of sleep as six beers had on a well-rested person.”
Why Do I Get Fatigued When I Drive?
We live in a 24/7 society that prioritizes work, productivity and getting as much accomplished in a day as possible. With long commutes and technology that allows us to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning, many people are not getting the 7-9 hours of uninterrupted rest they need.
For some people who are constantly on the go, trying to drive may be the only time they get to sit down or “relax” from the stressful demands of life. Despite extreme fatigue, caffeine and adrenaline can often mask the symptoms of being overtired and lead people to falsely assume they are okay to drive.
Missing out on even just a couple of hours sleep because of a work or school deadline, new baby or Netflix marathon adds to our sleep debt, accumulating increasing levels of the neurotransmitter, adenosine, in the brain. This chemical is responsible for signaling to our brain that we need sleep. Our biochemical tallying continues to build making us feel drowsy and triggering the urge to rest.
Our natural circadian rhythm controls when certain hormones and chemicals that regulate sleep are released, with peak fatigue occurring in the early morning hours or mid-afternoon (which is also when the most car accidents take place). If our sleep debt continues to build, the physiological need for rest could take over during monotonous tasks like driving.
Many people report “blacking out” or being unaware of falling asleep behind the wheel. A study done by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that only half of the drivers in fatigue-related crashes reported feeling tired before the crashes occurred, and nearly one-quarter reported not feeling drowsy at all.
Who Most Often Falls Asleep While Driving?
According to NHTSA data on drowsy driving:
Men versus Women
Men are 5 times more likely than women to be involved in fatigue-related accidents.
Single Drivers
In 82% of drowsy driving crashes, the driver was alone in the vehicle.
Young People
Those between the ages of 16-29 are at the greatest risk, with two-thirds of these accidents occurring among drivers under the age of 30.
Shift Workers
Circadian disruptions caused by rotating shift work can increase the risk of car accidents with 95% of night-shift nurses reporting being in an accident or having a near miss while driving home from work.
Sleep-deprived Individuals
With over half of Americans reporting sleep-related difficulties and the prevalence of sleep disorders on the rise, the number of drowsy drivers on the road has increased significantly.
Commercial Drivers
The greatest number of these crashes occur during night-time hours and during long periods of driving without a break, which are more common occurrences with commercial drivers.
Commuters
The incidence of fatigue-related accidents increases in proportion with the number of hours and miles spent driving each year. Commuters are also often missing out on sleep in order to be on the road early enough to arrive at work on time.
Signs You’re Too Tired to Drive
Many people are so used to being tired all of the time that they may not even notice the signs of fatigue. Over half of drivers in fatigue-related crashes may not have even been aware of feeling tired before getting in your car. It’s important to pay attention to these serious warning signs that you are too tired to drive.
Microsleep
Some people may experience “microsleep,” which are brief, involuntary periods of inattention lasting only a few seconds at a time. While these episodes may be as short as 5 seconds, the distance could be over half a mile when driving at highway speed.
Need Coffee
Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, temporarily tricking us into thinking we are rested and alert. If you are so fatigued that you cannot stay awake without drinking a cup of coffee, you should probably not be driving.
Lose Track of Time
Temporarily blacking out or losing track of time can be a sign that you are too tired to drive effectively. If your thoughts are continuously wandering, you find yourself daydreaming, or you can’t remember driving the last few miles, you shouldn’t be driving.
How to Stay Safe on the Road
Before a Trip
Get Enough Sleep
It can be tempting to wake up early to get a head start on a long trip or drive through the night to avoid traffic, but both of these could increase the risk for harm. Instead, make it a habit to always start a trip well-rested so you can give your full attention to the task of driving.
In order to get enough of good sleep, find the best mattress that will get you the rest you need.
Check About Medication Side Effects
Always be sure to check prescription and over-the-counter medication labels to see if drowsiness could occur, or speak to your pharmacist if you are unsure. If you take a sleeping aid, wait at least 7-8 hours before driving to give ample time for the effects to fade.
Ask a Buddy to Join You
Accidents are more likely to occur when you are driving solo, so consider carpooling or asking a friend to accompany you on long trips. Having someone to talk to can help to keep you focused and awake.
Plan Regular Resting Stops
It is important to take breaks while you are driving, either to have something to eat or to take a quick nap. Even the most alert drivers should pull over for a break every couple of hours.
Once on the Road
Call a Cab or an Uber
f you are already on the road and find yourself nodding off, don’t try to stick it out and finish the drive. Stop, call a cab or an uber, and go back for your vehicle once you’ve had some rest.
Pull over and Take a Break
Some research has found that drinking a small amount of caffeine may temporarily increase alertness. The best strategy is to drink 1-2 cups of coffee, take a brief nap for no longer than 20 minutes, then continue on your trip. (More on coffee naps here.)
Avoid Heavy Meals
Remember our good friend tryptophan that always makes us sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner? Eating a large meal before hitting the road is a bad idea. Instead, eat a light meal and have small, healthy snacks to help keep you alert on your trip.
Conclusion
When it comes to avoiding drowsy driving, prevention is key. Almost all causes of fatigue-related accidents could have been prevented with behavior choices. Unlike impaired driving, there are no breath analyzers for fatigue, but the dangers are just as real.
You wouldn’t get behind the wheel to drive your kids to school after having a few too many drinks, but somehow it seems fine to drive on far too little sleep. We’ve all done it, but now we know just how dangerous it can be. The first step to change is always awareness, so consider yourself informed!
Sometimes fatigue is inevitable – your child is sick, an assignment is due, or you have a medical disorder that prevents you from getting adequate rest. While we can’t always prevent being tired, we can choose not to put others at risk. Be aware of the signs of fatigue, and follow our tips for keeping you and everyone else on the road safe.
Raina Cordell
RN, RHN, Certified Health Coach
About Author
Raina Cordell is a Registered Nurse, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and Certified Health Coach, but her true passion in life is helping others live well through her website, www.holfamily.com. Her holistic approach focuses on the whole person, honing the physical body and spiritual and emotional well-being.
Combination Sleeper