Dangers of Drowsy Driving [2022 Update] - Mattress Clarity (2023)

“Drowsy driving” or drowsy driving can be deadly. Drowsiness at the wheel is responsible formore than 1,500 deaths a year.

Drowsy driving is such a serious problem that many car manufacturers aredeveloping technologiesto help prevent these types of accidents.

In 2017, Toyota launchedToyota Safety Sense, a suite of safety features now standard on all new models. If the car detects abnormal steering activity or sudden lane departure, a coffee cup icon will flash on the dash and activate an audible alarm. Companies like Audi, Mercedes and Volvo also offerdrowsiness detection systemsthat alert drivers when they are falling asleep.

These advances are promising, but it's still important to know how to prevent drowsiness and what to do when you feel drowsy while driving.

Here's everything you need to know about drowsy driving so you can keep yourself (and everyone else) safe on the road.

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What is drowsy driving?|How does it look?|Who is most likely to do this?|scratches|Prevention||What to do if you drive drowsy|conclusion|Resources

What is drowsy driving?

Drowsy driving isn't just about falling asleep at the wheel.

In accordance withCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), drowsy driving is the "dangerous combination of driving and drowsiness or fatigue." When drowsiness creeps into our consciousness, it can have the same effects that alcohol has on our brains. Sleepiness can:

• Divert the driver's attention from the road.
• Slow reaction times, making it extremely dangerous when driving and/or braking
• Impaired judgment and good decision-making skills.

NoAAA Foundation Report for Road Safety 2020, 17.3% of those surveyed admit to having driven so tired that they had difficulty keeping their eyes open at least once in the last 30 days. But the report also offers some hope, sharing that "consistently over the past three years, significant reductions in self-reported involvement in drowsy driving have been found."

How to identify drowsy driving?

It's easy to rule someone out for drunk driving because investigators can use breathalyzers, but there's no evidence of drowsiness. Most cases of drowsy driving are self-reported, which is not the most reliable method of collecting information. Not everyone is ready to admit they were sleepy, and some people have a hard time knowing if they were tired in the first place.

Scientists have developed a blood test that determines if a person has not rested for a night. The researchers found that people who haven't slept in the past 24 hours develop unique biomarkers in their blood that indicate lack of sleep. It is possible that this type of blood test can be used to identify cases of drowsy driving.

"The very existence of such biomarkers in the blood after a waking period of just 24 hours shows the physiological impact that sleep deprivation can have on our bodies," said study co-author Simon Archer, a professor of Molecular Biology at Dream at the University of Surrey, he told Science Daily. "Identifying these biomarkers is the first step toward developing a test that can accurately estimate how much sleep a person has slept."

What is it like to drive drowsy?

Although drowsy driving can be difficult to measure, there are somewarning signsthat show a driver is not alert enough to be on the road:

• leaving the track
• Frequent blinking, yawning, or eye rubbing
• A vague memory of the last few miles you drove
• I miss your game
• irritability and restlessness
• Disconnected thoughts and dreams
• Hit the rumble lane on the side of the road

It is also important to identify situations where a driver has the potential to become a drowsy driver even before starting the engine. Here are some classic situations where drowsy driving is likely to occur:

• At night, after a long day (or after a sleepless night)🇧🇷 Most drowsy driving accidents occur at night, when the body naturally wants to fall asleep. If someone is tired from a long day at work or just didn't get enough sleep in onecomfortable mattressthe night before, that person is more likely to fall asleep during the trip.
• During long road trips🇧🇷 Drowsy driving may be more common at night, but it can occur at any time of the day, especially during long drives. Driving down the same empty road for hours on end can get monotonous after a while. If there are no other cars, pedestrians, or changing landscapes to look at, the mind doesn't have to work as hard to assess its surroundings. Soon her mind begins to wander and her alertness begins to wane. Also, sitting for long periods of time decreases blood flow. This will encourage the body to go into energy conservation mode and can cause Zzzs.
• after consuming alcohol🇧🇷 Drivers should also be aware of what they are putting on their bodies before getting into their car. Alcohol, even when consumed in small amounts, can be dangerous. You may not feel drunk after a beer at the bar, but alcohol tricks your body into feeling more relaxed or sedated. If you're already a little tired, drinking can increase the desire to sleep.
• After taking certain medications🇧🇷 People who take certain medications should also be careful. Some drugs induce drowsiness and put drivers at risk. For example, certain cold and allergy medications (such as NyQuil or Benadryl) can make you drowsy. Also be aware of certain pain relievers like codeine or morphine, or anxiety medications like Xanax or Valium.

If you find yourself in any of these situations before you get behind the wheel, it's probably best to let someone else take control or find another way to avoid driving. That way you and any other passengers can stay out of harm's way and keep the streets as safe as possible.

Who is most likely to drive drowsy?

While everyone has the ability to fall asleep on the road, certain lifestyle factors and medical conditions can have a major impact on a person's alertness and increase the risk of drowsy driving. These risk factors include:

• shift work🇧🇷 This includes any work that is done outside of normal business hours of 9am to 5pm. m. to 5 p.m. m. May include night shifts, early morning shifts, or long rotating shifts. Any job that involves shift work can drastically affect a person's natural circadian rhythms and increase sleep debt. As a result, job performance decreases and more errors can occur at work or while driving home.
• Work as a commercial driver🇧🇷 Of all the shift workers, commercial drivers are most at risk as they often have to drive long hours on the interstate, sometimesup to 11 hours a day🇧🇷 In some cases, truckers have a hard time meeting company deadlines. Fatigue and long, monotonous stretches of road can increase the risk of drowsy driving.
• sleep disorders🇧🇷 Those who suffer from sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy and insomnia, can be a danger to themselves and other drivers on the road, especially when driving after a night of insufficient sleep.
• Gender🇧🇷 Sleep-related accidents affect young men more than any other gender or age demographic in the US. Overall, men are twice as likely to fall asleep at the wheel as women.
• Era.teenagersthey tend to be at risk because they have less driving experience and biologically need more sleep than other age groups. Most experts suggest that teens need more than nine hours of sleep a night, but often—with the stress of school and extracurricular activities—this age group sleeps less than eight hours a night. This helps explain why adults ages 18-29 are 19% more likely to drive while drowsy than older people. Less experienced drivers tend to underestimate the effects of fatigue and are more likely to drive when not fully awake.

Anyone can be guilty of drowsy driving, but if you fall into one of these demographics, it's important to be aware of the increased risks. Awareness is the first step to making healthier choices behind the wheel.

Sleep apnea

A team of researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospitalin studythe relationship between car accidents and two possible causes: not getting enough sleep or experiencingSleep apnea,a common condition in which your breathing slows or stops during the night. This decreases the quality of sleep and can cause fatigue during the day.

The researchers analyzed data collected from 1,745 men and 1,456 women aged 40 to 89 years. They found thatpeople with severe sleep apneahad a123% increased riskof being in a car accident.

"We found that people who are chronically sleep deprived are not considered excessively sleepy and therefore are not perceived as deficient," said lead author Dr. Daniel J. Gottlieb in aPress release🇧🇷 "This resulted in an increased risk of car accidents in sleep-deprived people."

The researchers in this study believe thatTreating people with sleep apnea can reduce the likelihood that they will be in a car accident.- although the relationship between the two is not cause and effect.

sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation is linked to a higher chance of being involved in (and responsible for) a car accident, a new study says. These risks may increase when sleep deprivation is more severe.

ostudying, which was published in the magazineSLEEP, found that people who slept less than seven hours in the last 24 hours are more likely to be hospitalized and responsible for car accidents. People who slept less than four hours in the last 24 hours were even more likely to be at fault for an accident.

Sleep problems for rideshare drivers

There are a few reasons why sleepiness is especially prevalent among rideshare drivers.

First, many rideshare drivers have another main job. For this reason, they usually drive after having already completed a full day's work, especially at night.

This means that many carpool drivers are traveling in a state of sleep deprivation and disrupted circadian rhythms, which can lead to drowsiness. While some companies require rest periods after long hours of driving, this is sadly not the norm in the rideshare industry.

Second, unlike taxi and bus services, there is little official regulation of ridesharing. While taxi and bus drivers are screened for potential sleep-related conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea, rideshare drivers are not.

Risks Associated with Drowsy Driving

If you're feeling a little dizzy behind the wheel, you might be tempted to push ahead and just rest when you arrive at your destination. But keep in mind that you are taking big risks when you don't drive 100%.

Soon? Drowsy driving has someterrifying consequences🇧🇷 This helps explain why state governments are doing everything they can to prevent these accidents from happening. Some highway administrations have installed signs saying: “Drowsy driving causes accidents” or “Drowsy? Hit a couch, not a road." Governments have also invested in building more rest areas.

But despite all the measures that are being taken,state officials found it very difficult to suppresson "sleep and surf" in general.

Very few police officers are formally trained to detect a tired driver. There areno device that can measure sleepinesshow a breathalyzer can analyze someone's drunkenness. And often when someone hears the police siren and sees those flashing lights, the adrenaline kicks in and wakes them up before the police get to the car door.

In order for someone to sue or file a lawsuit against a drowsy driver, thethe driver has to be willing to admit that he was tired🇧🇷 Not everyone can or will give this information, especially if it means they are in more trouble than they were to begin with.

We spoke with Jonathan Russell, a personal injury attorney and shareholder in Drake, Hileman & Davis, about drowsy driving cases. Russell says he's dealt with several cases where the other driver simply fell asleep, but "sometimes it's hard to tell if poor judgment is due to lack of sleep or just a bad decision."

When asked how damages in drowsy driving accidents compare to others, Russell advised: "Damages are often more severe when the defendant enters the oncoming lane and causes a head-on collision." He also explained how these types of cases differ from other accidents.

“It can give a reason for the jury to be more upset with a defendant knowing that the collision could have been avoided. But it can also create some sympathy. I had a situation where a defendant worked multiple jobs and didn't get enough sleep. It's not that being overworked justifies reckless behavior, but someone who passes out from drugs or alcohol is viewed differently."

However, Russell claims that there are manydangers of driving tiredand reminds us that “you can't fight the dream –the only cure for lack of sleep is sleep itself.”

How to prevent drowsy driving

So what can we do to avoid getting into trouble?

Before someone gets in the driver's seat, there are a few things you can do to make your trip as safe as possible:

• Do not drink alcohol before driving. Alcohol increases sleepiness.
• Get used to sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night. With a full night's rest, your mind will be fully alert during normal waking hours. According to the NHTSA, this is the best preventative measure you can take.
• Do not take medicines that cause drowsiness. Read your medicine labels to make sure there are no dangerous side effects.
• Get a good night's sleep before long trips or be sure to travel with a travel companion. When you feel a bit tired, it's good to switch with someone who is more awake.
• If you have a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor for treatment and to determine if you are fit to drive.

How teens and young adults can avoid drowsy driving

As noted above, teens and young adults may be particularly susceptible to drowsy driving for several reasons: They haveincreased sleep needs, but often have a sleep deficit, and have less experience behind the wheel. According to the National Safety Council, here are some tips that can help teens and young adults limit their risk of drowsy driving:

• Practice healthy sleep habits.
• Learn about the risks of drowsy driving and how it can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.
• Ask for a ride if you think you are too tired to drive.
• Keep an eye on your schedule. Between school and other activities, teens and young adults can be very busy. It's important to make sure you don't schedule too many activities in the morning or evening to avoid situations where you get too tired to drive alone.

How to respond if you catch yourself (or someone else) driving drowsy

While the above precautionary tips put you in the best position to drive safely, there's a chance you could still get a little road sick. If you feel drowsy while driving, consider taking one or more of the following precautions:

• try to drink caffeine🇧🇷 If you're drowsy, energy drinks and coffee can work as a quick pick-me-up, but they're not long-lasting cures for drowsy driving. The effects of caffeine only last for a short time, and if you're really exhausted, you may still experience "microsleep," where you lose consciousness for four to five seconds at a time. If you have an energy drink or soda, be careful with those that contain a lot of sugar. Sugar spikes can give you a temporary adrenaline rush, but they're combined with a sudden drop in stamina, alertness, and overall concentration.
• stop and take a nap🇧🇷 This is the most recommended solution if you fall asleep. As soon as you feel like falling asleep, find the nearest rest stop and take a 20-30 minute nap before continuing on your journey.Studiesshowed that sleeping for 26 minutes can improve performance by 34% and alertness by 54%. However, as with caffeine, the positive effects of a nap are temporary.

If you're on the road and suspect someone is driving drowsy, there are a few things you can do to (hopefully!) prevent a serious accident from happening:

• drive to a safe place🇧🇷 It is important that you move away from danger before trying to help the situation.
• Call the police🇧🇷 Dial 911 and inform the driver describing the car, the direction in which it is traveling and the license plate number. The police will investigate the situation and bring the driver to safety.

There isn't much you can do to keep yourself or anyone else awake while driving. If you feel drowsy behind the wheel,do not push🇧🇷 Get a hotel room and sleep in onegood mattressand the pillow in its place. And if you see another driver fall asleep on the road, stop and ask for help.

conclusion

Drowsy driving is a serious problem.and should be treated as such. It's all too easy for us to fall back into our normal work habits due to fatigue and lack of sleep, but this mindset is dangerous, if not fatal, once we get behind the wheel. It kills hundreds and injures thousands of people every year.

Drowsy driving is like drunk driving. Fatigue affects your concentration, reaction time, and judgment, causing you to do all sorts of things on the road: skidding, swerving, sudden changes in speed, and missing starts. Reckless driving could land you in a devastating accident, which could land you in jail or seriously in debt. So if you're feeling a bit tired before your trip, be sure to take the proper precautions before you put your keys in the ignition.

While car manufacturers are doing their best to create technologies that prevent us from driving drowsy, it's still up to us to make sure we're fit enough to be on the road. Remember, if you feel your eyes start to droop during the ride:Stop, stop and close your eyes🇧🇷 You and everyone else on the road will be safer with this.

additional resources

For more information on drowsy driving and how to avoid it, check out these links:

• Caution: Some over-the-counter medications may affect your driving
• NHTSA Drowsy Driving Research Program and Plan
• Educate young people about drowsy driving
• Quick sleep tips for truckers
• Prevention of Drowsy Driving from the National Sleep Foundation
• Safety guide for young responsible drivers