The following is from the New Mexico Mutual Risk and Safety Management Department
According to the American Sleep Foundation, about half of U.S. adult drivers admit to consistently getting behind the wheel while feeling drowsy. An estimated 7,000 people died last year in crashes involving drowsy driving, according to a Governors Highway Safety Association report.
Driving while drowsy is similar to driving under the influence of alcohol:
- Drivers’ reaction times, awareness of hazards and
ability to sustain attention all worsen the drowsier
the driver is - Driving after going more than 20 hours without
sleep is the equivalent of driving with a blood-
alcohol concentration of 0.08% – the U.S. legal limit - You are three times more likely to be in a car crash
if you are fatigued
Ways to reduce drowsy driving include:
- Crash avoidance technologies: New and existing
safety technologies, such as drowsiness
alert and lane departure warnings, can detect
common drowsy driving patterns and warn drivers
to stay in their lane or take a break - University interventions: College students
receive less than average sleep, with some estimates
at less than six hours a night; education programs
aimed at college students may help curb drowsy
driving and instill healthier behaviors that can last
into adulthood - Getting more sleep: According to the American
Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research
Society, adults should get seven or more hours of
sleep each night - Medication labels: A recent article by Consumer
Reports found that side effects warnings are not
always clear; new labeling guidelines may help
drivers understand when to drive or not drive after
taking these medications - Employers: Workplaces can include key
information on getting sufficient sleep and refraining
from driving drowsy
For Safety Tips about Drowsy Driving, please contact us at [email protected], or go to http://www.nsc.org/learn/NSC-Initiatives/Pages/Fatigue.aspx
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