Recent Studies Show That Tired Driving May Prove More Dangerous

Tired Driving Vs Drunk Driving

Recent Studies Show That Tired Driving May Prove More Dangerous

Recently AAA has compiled data from roughly 3,500 accidents to determine exactly how dangerous tired driving or "drowsy driving" really is, and the results are pretty surprising. Original estimates showed that only one to two percent of fatal accidents were caused by lack of sleep, but the new data suggests that the number could be as high as 17%. 

Other studies conducted in conjunction yielded even more information. Some portions suggested that driving on five or less hours of sleep equaled the impairment level of several alcoholic drinks. Further research concluded that missing just two to three hours of sleep can more than quadruple your risk of a crash. To make matters worse, it appears that the old measures taken are just not as effective as we thought. Singing, rolling down the windows, and drinking coffee don't have half the effect we wish they did.

Even the TV show Myth Busters got a few words in on the matter. They conducted their own trials, and in all cases it showed that drowsy driving was far more dangerous. Although both situations (imbibing several shots and staying up all night) clearly impaired both divers in the experiment, causing them to make mistakes and veer out of their lanes, the lack of sleep had more dangerous effects.

Compared to the effects of their driving under alcohol, sleep deprivation caused one participant to drive 10 times worse while the other was three times more erratic.

The most important thing to do when you realize that it's getting harder to keep your eyes open on the road is to pull over and get a little rest. Even a small nap can help. On longer trips it's also recommended that you trade off driving with a passenger and stop frequently enough to stretch and shake off the effects of the road.

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Written By: Todd Hendrickson
Source: Discovery Channel, USA Today