Drowsy Driving

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsiness/fatigue is a principal causal factor in approximately 100,000 police-reported crashes annually (about 1.5%).

Virtually everyone is at risk of drowsy driving, especially those who are deprived of sleep, driving long distances without rest breaks, driving through the night or at other times when they are normally asleep, taking medications that increase sleepiness or drinking alcohol, driving alone, driving on long, rural, boring roads, and those who are frequent travelers.

According to Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, an expert on sleep, as many as 100 million Americans are not getting enough sleep. The hours of sleep that we miss add up to what is called a "sleep debt," or the sleep you owe your body. If you find yourself sleeping through your alarm clock, nodding off during the day, being clumsy or having trouble focusing, you may be battling a huge sleep debt. Dr. Dement claims that the average American is carrying around a sleep debt of as much as 30 to 40 hours.

"Driving drowsy is the same as driving drunk. You're very impaired, your judgment is impaired, your reaction time is impaired, your memory is impaired. And this huge sleep debt you've accumulated suddenly seizes you, and that's when people die," states Dr. Dement. He also stresses that drowsiness is not a warning sign, it is the last thing that happens before you fall asleep, whether you want to or not.

In a study done recently by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a typical crash related to sleepiness has the following characteristics: It occurs late at night, in the early morning or mid-afternoon; it is likely to be serious; a single vehicle is involved; it occurs on a high-speed road; the driver does not attempt to avoid a crash; the driver is alone in the vehicle.

There is an increased crash risk among people with untreated sleep apnea syndrome and narcolepsy. Undiagnosed sleep-disordered breathing, ranging from habitual snoring to repeated breathing interruptions, also increases the likelihood of crashes in a dose-response manner. These disorders are not always linked to impaired driving; many people affected with these disorders have reported no auto crashes.

If you notice that you are unable to remember the last few miles that you drove, you are drifting from your lane, experience wavering disconnected thoughts, yawn repeatedly, have difficulty focusing or keeping your eyes open, tailgate, miss traffic signs, have trouble keeping your head up, keep jerking your vehicle back into the lane, you may be a victim of drowsy driving.

You should immediately recognize the fact that you are in danger of falling asleep and find a safe place to stop for a brief nap. You should also start to drink coffee, or another source of caffeine, to promote short-term alertness if you are unable to stop right away. Rumble strips, the deep grooves placed on the shoulders of the roads to alert drivers who are drifting to the edges, have been known to stop an estimated 15 to 70 percent of crashes due to drowsy driving. These strips should be heeded as an external sign of fatigue- a sign that prompts you to pull off the road at a safe place and get some sleep.

Also, if you are on medication that could impair your driving in any way, do not drive after taking it. Let someone else do the driving, so that you can arrive safely.

Some Additional Tips:

About one million crashes annually are attributed to driver inattention/lapses. Sleep deprivation and fatigue make such lapses more likely to occur. Ensure your safety and the safety of those riding with you by reducing your chances of driving under the influence of fatigue.

Before you leave:

• Get a good night's sleep. While this varies from individual to individual, the average person requires about 8 hours of sleep a night.
• 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.
• Schedule regular stops, every 100 miles or 2 hours.
• Avoid alcohol and medications that may impair performance.
• Consult your physician or a local sleep disorder center for diagnosis and treatment if you suffer from frequent daytime sleepiness, often have difficulty sleeping at night, and/or snore loudly every night.

Recognize the warning signs of fatigue:

• Cannot remember the last few miles driven.
• Drift from lane.
• Experience wandering disconnected thoughts.
• Yawn repeatedly.
• Have difficulty focusing or keeping eyes open.
• Tailgate or miss traffic signs.
• Have trouble keeping head up.
• Keep jerking vehicle back into lane.

When driving you should:

• Recognize that you are in danger of falling asleep.
• Respond to symptoms of fatigue by finding a safe place to stop.
• Take a brief (20 to 40 minute) nap if you are tired.
• Drink coffee or another source of caffeine to promote short-term alertness if needed.