Dangers of Drowsy Driving

Dangers of drowsy driving and how to overcome them

Falling asleep while driving, is a common cause for road accidents which can turn fatal. Constant yawning, heavy eyelids and blurred vision are some of the symptoms that indicate that you are about to fall asleep while driving. Always stay cautious about the dangers of drowsy driving and take steps to avoid this imminent danger.

When you feel sleepy, your brain starts to function slowly. Driving while you are sleepy is dangerous as it reduces your ability to drive efficiently and inhibits your mental alertness. You have lesser judgmental power and react to events slower than usual. The symptoms of fatigued drivers are often confused with those of intoxicated drivers. Sufferers from sleep apnea also feel sleepy while driving.

Driving with sleepiness often leads to serious injuries and even death. Consider these points:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of U.S., drowsy driving leads to nearly 100,000 crashes every year. These accidents lead to about 40,000 injuries and 1550 deaths each year.
• Sufferers from sleep apnea perform as poorly as those who have high alcohol concentration in their blood.  
• According to the famous journal “Sleep,” Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has claimed 1400 lives out of road accidents in the year 2000. The damage has been $15.9 billion.
• Patients suffering from OSA are 3-7 times more likely to face dangers of car crash.
• Drowsy drivers cause more casualties than sufferers of sleep apnea.
• 1.5% of all road accidents are related to drowsy driving.
• According to National Sleep Foundation’s 2002 Sleep in America survey, about one – half of U.S.’ adult drivers (amounting to approximately 100 million people) feel sleepy while driving. Nearly two out of ten people have reported to have fallen asleep while driving in the last one year.

Now let us examine the causes behind people falling asleep behind the wheels

• Undiagnosed sleep disorders, including sleep apnea
• The time of the day or night
• Amount of sleep the driver had in the night prior
• Alcohol intake
• Prescribed and other Over The Counter drugs taken by the driver
• Shifting duties – People coming back to home from night shift or joining work in the morning shift are more prone to drowsiness on the road.

Now let us have a look at some of the precautionary steps by which we can mitigate the risks of drowsy driving:

• Night time is particularly risky, as sleep will come naturally. Our biological clock is programmed to sleep when it is dark outside. For most people, the urge to fall asleep is the strongest between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM. We should try and avoid this time as much as possible.
• While driving for a long stretch, you should take regular breaks. It is more important for truck drivers. Go out of the truck, stretch yourself a little. You can also walk around a little. Some aerobic exercise will also help. These measures will increase blood flow through your body system and will provide you with more energy.
• At intervals, drink beverages rich in caffeine, say tea, coffee etc. These are stimulants and will boost up your energy levels temporarily. However, do not drink too much caffeine at one go.
• Avoid Over-The-Counter medications. They might turn you into a sleepy driver.
• While driving, keep the side window open. Fresh air will be highly energizing.
• Keep your car stereo or radio open. The radio talk shows will help in keeping drowsiness at bay. 
• Have a good sleep the night prior and the night after the driving session and keep the dangers of drowsy driving at bay.