Drowsy Driving a Hidden Threat

Sleep experts and legislators now say this is where the country is when it comes to the dangers of driving while sleepy. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving is a factor in 100,000 crashes, 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths annually. The National Sleep Foundation says it’s worse than that, as it says police data isn’t sufficient and many instances go unreported. Experts there put the numbers at 71,000 injuries and 5,500 deaths each year.

The NSF released a poll last month that said 54% of adult drivers admit to driving while drowsy, while 28% said they have actually fallen asleep while driving. The Harvard Medical School’s Sleep Division estimates that 250,000 drivers fall asleep at the wheel daily, and that the problem is particularly acute among young drivers.

How dangerous is driving while drowsy? Researchers say a person driving after 18 consecutive hours without sleep performs at the same level as a person with a blood-alcohol level of .08%.

But how is drowsy driving to be policed? If a cop pulls someone over, it’s likely that person will be wide awake by the time the officer approaches the car. In other words, there’s no breathalyzer for a sleepy person.

Some state legislators are trying to criminalize drowsy driving. In New Jersey, post-accident evidence of drowsy driving is classified as recklessness, but only if the accident results in a death. In every other state, if you fall asleep at the wheel and kill someone the penalty is usually no worse than probation and a suspended license.

Wake-Up Call: Drowsy Drivers Are Serious Threat (USA Today)