"And while drivers may be aware when they are drowsy, they often don’t realize just how sleepy they are, according to 2023 AAA Foundation research. Three-quarters of drivers who thought they were only mildly tired were, in fact, moderately or severely sleepy. And even when drivers realized they were fatigued, 75% decided to keep driving rather than take a break.
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Drowsy drivers were involved in 91,000 police-reported crashes in 2017. These incidents resulted in injuries for an estimated 50,000 people and killed nearly 800.
Occasionally, these tragedies make the news, such as when a commercial truck driver who’d been awake for more than 28 hours crashed into a limo that held comedians Tracy Morgan and James “Jimmy Mack” McNair, resulting in the latter’s death.
But many accidents involving tired drivers aren’t publicized, and the actual number is likely much higher than official reports show.
Unlike drunk driving, where blood alcohol concentration (BAC) can be measured, drowsy driving crash statistics rely on interviews with drivers who may not realize or admit they were sleepy and reports from crash investigators who look for clues to help determine the cause.
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Indeed, a 2018 survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that the percentage of crashes involving drowsy drivers is nearly eight times higher than federal estimates.
A prior study by the same foundation found that there were more than 6,000 crashes per year involving a fatigued driver that resulted in at least one death and that more than one in five fatal car crashes involved a drowsy driver.
That means drowsy driving ranks nearly as high as drunk driving on the list of reasons for crashes. About 31% of all traffic crash fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk drivers."
Read the full article here: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/drowsy-driving-is-a-factor-in-21-percent-of-fatal-crashes
Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving. We take a look at what can be done to mitigate this underrated public health issue.
