Sleepy or drowsy driving is when you feel like falling asleep, and no one is exempt from experiencing this. It is extremely dangerous and can lead to severe and even fatal accidents. It’s most important to discover how to prevent this kind of sleepiness and any unnecessary destruction.1
How often do drivers experience drowsy driving?1
Although there are no exact statistics on this, drowsy driving occurs more often than we could imagine. A survey taken in the USA revealed that 60% of adult drivers indicated that they had experienced being sleepy while driving during a year. About 4% of drivers had fallen asleep in one month while driving.
Some statistics attributed to drowsy driving1
In the USA in 2017, drowsy driving caused 91 000 accidents, 50 000 injuries and 800 deaths. This type of data may well be an underestimate of the real picture because it’s so difficult to establish what happened in each case.
What happens during drowsy driving? 1
Microsleeps occur when a driver falls asleep for a few seconds. Driving at 120 km/hour means you cover 66 metres in two seconds which is 66% of the length of a rugby field. Much can happen in two seconds, when drivers can veer off the road and crash. Research has shown that driving is dangerous even if the driver doesn’t fall asleep. Your brain can switch off with your eyes open.
Deprived of sleep1
Many motorists live a lifestyle where good sleep is almost an afterthought. When you have cheated yourself of a good night’s sleep, your brain goes into a dozy mode like someone who has been drinking. Similar to drinking, your judgement is not as sharp as it should be, with a lack of concentration and slow reaction time.
What are the causes of drowsy driving? 1
Adults should have at least 7-9 hours of sleep a day, but many don’t get near this requirement. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea prevent a person from getting full sleep. Many drivers may not notice that they suffer from such a disability. Another cause is driving under the influence of alcohol, which impairs decision-making, and causes drowsiness. In addition, many medications warn that taking them can cause drowsiness and that they should avoid driving.
What time of the day can drowsiness occur? 1
Car accidents attributed to drowsy driving peaks between midnight and 06h00 and mid-afternoon.
Who is particularly prone to sleepy driving? 1
These include those who travel for long hours, such as truck drivers and people who work difficult hours.
The most crucial part is how to avoid drowsy driving1
If going on a long trip, break up your journey into small sections so that you can rest. Swapping drivers is another way of doing it. Listen to your body and avoid driving when you should be sleeping. Nothing can beat a good night’s sleep – you owe it to your body. Avoid alcohol and sedatives, while a travel companion helps you to stay alert when driving long distances.
We’ve read about how accidents can prevail when falling asleep at the wheel. Make sure it doesn’t happen, but if it does, are you adequately covered for any accident? Be careful not to compromise your car insurance claim by being under alcohol. If you need more information on car insurance, contact PMD, who will be most happy to assist you. They also offer affordable car insurance products that could suit your needs and wallet well.
Source:
1https://www.sleepfoundation.org/drowsy-driving
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.