Did You Know? Warning Signs of Drowsy Driving
Note: This blog is based on the Latest CDC Report on drowsy driving (Jan 4, 2023)
Drowsy driving is the dangerous combination of driving when sleepy and tired. Needless to say, drowsiness makes you less alert and less able to focus on the road. As a driver, you should learn how to prevent the risk and recognize the signs and symptoms of drowsiness before you take the road.
CDC Indicates the Following:
Most crashes or near misses due to drowsy driving occur between 4 and 6 a.m.
Other peak times are midnight to 2 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.
If you are driving at these times, be aware of your state of mind as well as the behavior of other drivers on the road. They may be drowsy!
The talkuccino App is designed to stimulate you and keep you alert while driving.
Did You Know?
In a CDC survey, an estimated 1 in 25 adult drivers (18 years or older) reported falling asleep while driving in the previous 30 days.
Drowsy driving was related to 91,000 crashes in 2017, resulting in 50,000 injuries and nearly 800 deaths.
In 2020, there were 633 deaths based on police reports.
However, these numbers are likely to be underestimated, as over 6,000 fatal crashes each year involve a drowsy driver.
Who’s at greater risk of drowsy driving and related crashes and deaths?
Teenagers and young adult drivers
Learn the warning signs of drowsy driving
Yawning or blinking frequently
Trouble remembering the past few miles driven
Missing your exit
Drifting from your lane
Hitting a rumble strip on the side of the road
Here are a few more references:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA Drowsy Driving Research and Program Plan. U.S. Department of Transportation; 2016. DOT publication HS 812 252. Accessed November 18, 2022. https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/drowsydriving_strategicplan_030316.pdf
Wheaton AG, Shults RA, Chapman DP, Ford ES, Croft JB. Drowsy driving and risk behaviors—10 states and Puerto Rico, 2011–2012 MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014; 63:557-562.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drowsy Driving. Accessed November 18, 2022. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drowsy-driving
Tefft BC, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Prevalence of Motor Vehicle Crashes Involving Drowsy Drivers, United States, 2009–2013 Washington, DC: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety; 2014. Accessed November 18, 2022.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Teen Driving. Accessed November 18, 2022. https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving
Institute of Medicine. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2006. Accessed November 18, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19960/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK19960.pdf