Drowsy driving, or driving while fatigued, isn’t as uncommon as you might hope. According to a recent survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, as many as one in four motorists admitted to being close to dozing off while driving at least once over the previous month. That makes it close to 25% of motorists, who admit that drowsy driving is a problem for them while they are at the wheel.
About 33 percent of motorists between the ages 19 and 20 admitted that they had struggled to stay awake at the wheel at least once in the previous month. Certain categories of drivers were at a comparatively lower risk of drowsy driving, including drivers above the age of 75, and drivers in the 16 to 17 age category.
There seems to be a recognition of the fact that driving while sleepy, is simply not done. It increases your risk of an accident, and many motorists in the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey, admitted as much. An overwhelming majority of 95% said that they believed that drowsy driving was unacceptable, while 82% called drowsy driving a “serious” threat. In fact, research has indicated to Los Angeles car accident lawyers that drowsy driving can have the same kind of effect on a person’s driving abilities as driving under the influence of alcohol. In spite of this however, there seem to be far too many people driving when they are too impaired by lack of sleep.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety advises that motorists get plenty of sleep before they begin driving, especially before a long journey. Ideally you should have at least seven hours of sleep, before you begin driving. If you feel sleepy while driving, pull over somewhere safe. Take a short nap to recharge your batteries, before you get back to driving.
