Stay alert on the road: The dangers of drowsy driving

The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, stressed the need to increase awareness about drowsy driving to curb its occurrence. “Real change requires a comprehensive understanding of fatigued driving to motivate drivers to refrain from driving when drowsy.”

Drowsy driving facts from the USA:

• A study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in 25 drivers, in a 30-day study, admitted to falling asleep while driving.
• According to a study by the AAA Foundation, 75% of consumer drivers reported having low levels of perceived drowsiness when they were moderately or very drowsy.
• A study on commercial vehicle drivers found that 13% of those involved in a crash were fatigued at the time of the collision.
• The AAA Foundation’s study discovered that drowsy driving is more common between 18:00 and 06:00. Despite having the opportunity to rest, drivers would forego a break because they misjudged their level of fatigue.
• Of those who felt drowsy, 75% continued driving and skipped a break.
• The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that three out of four drivers made at least one driving error while fatigued.
• Most drowsy driving-related accidents involve motorists moving off the road at high speeds, often without evidence of braking.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that sleepiness increases reaction times, making reactions to stimuli more challenging.
• Sleep deprivation can mimic the effects of drunkenness. In one study, sleep-deprived participants performed as poorly as or worse than drunken participants with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% when performing certain tasks.

“These facts should motivate drivers to be more aware of their drowsiness levels and take it seriously. It is only when drivers truly understand the risk in which they place themselves that there will be a drive to eliminate this risk as far as possible,” said Herbert.

Source: MotorPress