More than 40 percent of drivers say they have fallen asleep while driving at least once. According to a study carried out by the AAA Foundation, one out of every ten of these drivers has admitted doing this in the past year. The AAA Foundation is a non-profit research and educational organization.
Driving when sleep-deprived and drowsy can lead to accidental deaths. As per reports, nearly one in six car crashes is caused due to a fatigue impaired driver. Every state prohibits drunk driving. And only New Jersey has laws against driving when deprived of sleep. This should not be the case, especially after it has been proved that the effects of sleep deprivation are similar to those of drunk driving.
The director of communications and public affairs for AAA Arizona, Linda Gorman said, “Driving Drowsy is similar in many ways to driving drunk. Awareness decreases, reaction time slows, judgment is impaired and your risk of crashing skyrockets”.
A few handy tips have been offered by AAA Arizona to help drivers stay awake and alert behind the wheel.
Make sure you get a good night's sleep before setting out on a long trip. Also, take a break every two hours of driving. Avoid overnight trips. If you have a long road trip planned, make sure you have a good night’s sleep rather than driving straight through. If you are very tired, stop driving. If you are tired, you are likely to fall asleep. If possible, travel with a passenger. They can always watch for signs of drowsiness and may also be able to take the wheel when the driver gets too tired. Do not trust caffeine to keep you awake. Different people react differently to caffeine.
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