A new study from the AAA Foundation reveals that drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving.
Tis the season to be driving! And if you’re going to on the road for the holidays, getting enough sleep is likely more important that you realize, according to a new AAA study.
Missing a couple of hours of sleep – at least seven is the recommended amount – can nearly double your risk for a crash. Perhaps more importantly, the Centers for Disease Control suggests that 35% of U.S. drivers sleep less than seven hours a day.
“You cannot miss sleep and still expect to be able to safely function behind the wheel,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Our new research shows that a driver who has slept for less than five hours has a crash risk comparable to someone driving drunk.”
According to a new study from AAA, exhaustion is a factor in one out of five fatal crashes in the U.S. Proper rest plays a crucial role in lowering crashes.
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The AAA Foundation report found that in a 24-hour period, crash risk for sleep-deprived drivers increased steadily when compared to drivers who slept the recommended seven hours or more:
- Six to seven hours of sleep: 1.3 times the crash risk
- Five to six hours of sleep: 1.9 times the crash risk
- Four to five hours of sleep: 4.3 times the crash risk
- Less than four hours of sleep: 11.5 times the crash risk
While 97% of all drivers agree that it’s a problem, more than a third of all drivers reported driving drowsy in the last month. The key to solving the problem sounds simple.
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“Managing a healthy work-life balance can be difficult and far too often we sacrifice our sleep as a result,” said Jake Nelson, director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research for AAA. “Failing to maintain a healthy sleep schedule could mean putting yourself or others on the road at risk.”
AAA officials say that drivers cannot rely on their bodies to provide warning signs of fatigue and should instead prioritize getting plenty of sleep (at least seven hours) in their daily schedules.
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Symptoms of drowsy driving can include having trouble keeping eyes open, drifting from lanes or not remembering the last few miles driven. However, more than half of drivers involved in fatigue-related crashes experienced no symptoms before falling asleep behind the wheel.