“I have a good driving record, so I don’t need to worry about having an automobile accident.” “Accidents happen only to young and reckless drivers.” Many think that an automobile accident will never happen to them. Is that the way you feel? When it comes to automobile accidents, are you invulnerable?

The Drowsy Driver

Some experts say that a drowsy driver may be as dangerous as a drunk driver. Reports indicate that drowsiness causes an increasing number of accidents. Fleet Maintenance & Safety Report recently stated that during a single year, 1 out of every 12 motorists in Norway reported falling asleep while driving. According to The Star of Johannesburg, South Africa, driver fatigue causes up to one third of all vehicular collisions in that country. Reports from other lands reveal that fatigue is affecting drivers everywhere. Why are there so many sleepy drivers?

Today’s hectic life-style contributes to the problem. Newsweek magazine reported recently that Americans may be “sleeping as much as an hour and a half less per night than [they] did at the turn of the century—and the problem is likely to get worse.” Why? The magazine quoted sleep expert Terry Young as saying: “People have regarded sleep as a commodity that they could shortchange. It’s been considered a mark of very hard work and upward mobility to get very little sleep.”

It is said that the average person needs between six and a half and nine hours of sleep per night. When deprived, people develop a “sleep debt.” A report distributed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety states: “Even sleeping 30 or 40 minutes less than needed each night during a normal work week can result in a 3- to 4-hour sleep debt by the weekend, enough to significantly increase levels of daytime sleepiness.”

At times, you may miss out on a good night’s rest. Insomnia, caring for a sick child, or other factors beyond your control can rob you of sleep. The next day you may well find yourself becoming sleepy behind the wheel. What should you do if this happens?

Popular remedies such as drinking caffeine, opening the window, chewing gum, or eating something spicy may not keep you awake. None of these so-called remedies address the real problem. What you need is sleep. So why not try taking a brief nap? The New York Times suggested: “The reviving workday nap should not be longer than 30 minutes; any more and the body lapses into a deep sleep, from which it is difficult to awake.” Taking a nap might delay your arrival at your destination, but it can extend your life.

Your pattern of life can make you more susceptible to becoming a drowsy driver. Do you spend long hours on the Internet, or do you stay up late at night watching television? Do you go to social gatherings that last into the early hours of the morning? Don’t allow such practices to rob you of your sleep.

Each year, at least, 1500 people die in crashes related to sleepy, fatigued or drowsy drivers in the United States of America. This is according to statistics gathered by the federal government. This number is most likely an underestimate. Unless someone witnesses or survives the crash and can testify to the driver’s condition, it is difficult to determine if the driver fell asleep. 

Each year, at least, 40,000 people are injured in drowsy driver crashes. For the same reasons as above, this is also probably an underestimate.

At least 100,000 crashes are caused by drowsy drives, each year.

62% of surveyed American adults (72% of men and 54% of women) reported driving while feeling drowsy.

37% of surveyed American adults (49% of men and 26% of women) said they have dozed off while driving at least once.

27% of surveyed American adults (36% of men and 20% of women) said they have dozed off while driving in the past year.

20% of surveyed Canadian adults said they have dozed off while driving in the past year.

40% of surveyed Irish adults said they have experienced driver fatigue in the past year.

12% of surveyed people say sleeplessness affected their driving.

According to the THINK! Road Safety website by the United Kingdom Department for Transportation (7/2004): “Research commissioned by the Government found a fifth of motorway collisions are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel and one in ten crashes on all of Britain’s roads - around 23,300 a year are also linked to fatigue. Sleep-related vehicle accidents (SRVAs) are more likely to result in serious injury than the ‘average’ road accident.”