TheZebra.com has an interesting article about drowsy driving. Here is the beginning of the article:
Key insights + statistics
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- 100,000 police-reported crashes and over 1,500 deaths are the results of drowsy driving each year. (NHTSA)
- More than 40% of drivers admitted they have fallen asleep behind the wheel. (AAA)
- The cost of drowsy-driving crashes at about 13% of the total $836 billion in societal costs of traffic crashes. (NHTSA)
- An estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses are due to drowsy drivers. (NHTSA)
- In 2017, 50,000 people were injured in drowsy driving accidents and 795 of those were killed because of drowsy driving. (NHTSA)
- 800 fatalities occurred in 2015 as a result of drivers feeling fatigued behind the wheel. (FHWA)
- From 2009 to 2013, 72,000 police-reported motor vehicle accidents involving drowsy drivers. (NHTSA)
Why is drowsy driving dangerous?
From 2013 to 2017, more than 4,000 people died due to drowsy driving. Drowsy driving is so dangerous because it mirrors so many sypmtoms of drunk driving: blurred vision, slowed reaction time, and poor decision making. From 2006-2016, the NHTSA reported more than 10,000 deaths from drunk driving collisions and impaired drivers. While it is more common in drivers who travel long distances, drowsiness or sleepiness can happen to anyone. Even the most experienced drivers can be susceptible and miss the warning signs that it’s no longer safe to be behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. If your vision begins to blur, you nod off, or lose control of the car, you should pull over immediately and sleep.
The Zebra, the nation’s leading insurance comparison site, collected proprietary data, as well as synthesized research from data sources such as the American Automobile Association, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, and the National Sleep Foundation to present the most up-to-date and relevant facts and statistics on drowsy driving.
