Drowsy Driving Causes Dangerous Texas Car Wrecks

November 6th through 12th is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, which aims to increase public awareness about falling asleep at the wheel.

Researchers estimate that drowsy driving caused 16.5 percent of all fatal car wrecks and 13 percent of all wrecks that resulted in a driver or passenger being hospitalized between the years 1999 and 2008. While these are scary statistics, drowsy driving has not received the attention that drunk driving or distracted driving has.

Much like distracted driving, drowsy driving slows drivers' reaction times, causes vision impairment, and causes lapses in judgment. Studies show that when drivers are awake for 20 hours straight or more, they experience an impairment that is equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent, which is the legal limit.

A Sleepy Nation
In a recent AAA Foundation 2010 Traffic Safety Culture Index, more than a quarter of the drivers who were surveyed admitted to being so tired while driving that they had a difficult time keeping their eyes open. Slightly fewer people, about 18 percent, admitted to driving drowsy more than once.

Drivers ages 16 through 24 are twice as likely as any 40 to 59 year-old drivers to be involved in a drowsy driving accident. And male drivers are almost twice as likely as female drivers to fall asleep while driving.

Truck drivers and other commercial drivers are especially prone to being involved in a drowsy driving accident, especially because they drive at all times of the day and night.

When winter comes and the daylight hours become shorter, drivers are more prone to falling asleep at the wheel.

Texas Drivers Need More Sleep
As we age, our bodies need more sleep for us to feel rested. Yet more than a quarter of drivers who reported experiencing a drowsy driving episode reported getting four hours of sleep or fewer. A third of the drivers who reported experiencing drowsy driving had received at least seven hours of sleep.

Drivers can fall asleep at the wheel for as long as three to four seconds and not even realize it. This is known as "microsleep."

While drivers may think that seven hours of sleep is sufficient for a day, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that drivers get anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep before driving. And the older the driver, the more sleep he or she will need.

Texas Highways More Likely to Make Drivers Drowsy
Nearly 60 percent of drivers who have experienced drowsy driving episodes report that their episodes occurred while driving on a multi-lane interstate highway. Others have reported falling asleep while driving on two-lane roads with speed limits of 45mph or higher.

Relatively few drivers reported falling asleep while driving on local or neighborhood roads.

What You Can Do If You Feel Drowsy While Driving
If you feel drowsy, you should not drive. But if you have to drive, make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep before hitting the road. Do not take medications that you know make you feel drowsy.

Here are a few other tips to make sure you don't fall asleep at the wheel:

Turn on the radio or increase the volume of the radio
Open a window to get air
Drink a coffee or soda
Pull over in a safe place and take a nap

Don't hesitate to contact Kay Van Wey at (800)489-5082 for a free, no obligation consultation.

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