Drowsy Driving Archives | Accident & Injury Chiropractic

Did you know that drowsy driving is responsible for a significant percentage of car wrecks each year? Between hospitalizations, property damage, and other costs, the estimated expense incurred here in the United States for drowsy driving is anywhere between $12.5 billion and $109 billion every year. Yet, drowsy driving doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as drunk driving. Though not identical, drowsy driving and drunk driving bear some similarities and are considered equally dangerous. While it’s fairly easy to determine alcohol impairment using blood alcohol measurements, sleep deprivation is harder to gauge, and fewer studies have been done. Most people are reluctant to admit they were driving while fatigued, and experts believe that drowsy driving accidents are often mistakenly attributed to other things. However, in controlled studies where researchers were able to measure the amount of sleep deprivation in drivers, it was found that drunk and drowsy driving both resulted in a similar number of crashes. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association, alcohol reduces the important skills drivers need to competently operate a motor vehicle. Alcohol can affect how a driver perceives his or her surroundings and processes information to respond to critical driving tasks. Alcohol disturbs a driver’s judgement, making it difficult for him or her to determine distance, speed, movement of other vehicles, and the relationship of objects to the path of travel. Alcohol can impact a driver’s ability to see clearly and can lead to blurred vision and double vision. Alcohol can make it difficult for a driver to distinguish color in traffic signs, signals, roadway markings, and other vehicles. Under the influence of alcohol, drivers can struggle to focus and stay alert. In addition, drunk drivers are often impulsive, uninhibited, and overly confident, leading to risky driving behaviors. We all understand the dangers of falling asleep behind the wheel. But falling asleep isn’t the only risk fatigued drivers face. Drowsiness affects alertness and the decision-making process, which can be particularly dangerous in situations that require fast reflexes to avoid a crash. It can seriously impact a driver’s attention, coordination, reaction time, and judgement. Drowsy drivers may have trouble maintaining the correct speed and keeping the appropriate distance from other cars. They may be unable to react in time to avoid an obstacle in front of them. They may weave in and out of lanes and even drive off the road. A single car accident can be as serious as a crash between two or more vehicles. Clearly, drunk driving and fatigued driving are comparable, but in some ways fatigued driving is even more dangerous than drunk driving. According to a study on the BMC Public Health website , when sleep deprived individuals were compared to alcohol impaired individuals, those who were sleep deprived exhibited slower reaction times and reduced lateral control of their vehicles. In a more apples-to-apples comparison of drowsy driving to drunk driving reported by Sleep Foundation, it was found that after approximately 18 hours of sleep deprivation a driver’s reaction time, alertness, focus, hand-eye coordination, and ability to multi-task are comparable to a driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.05%. A driver with approximately 20 hours of sleep deprivation can be compared to a driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, which is the current legal limit in most states. After approximately 24 hours of sleep deprivation, impairment is equivalent to a blood alcohol content of 0.1%. Even mild and short-term sleep deprivation can cause dangerous impairments to driving ability. One study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that sleeping between six and seven hours a night doubled the risk of being involved in a crash, while getting less than five hours of sleep doubled it again. What should you do if you need to drive but are low on sleep? First, be aware that drowsy driving is most often found in people who have slept 6 hours or less. If that is the case for you, try to take a nap or call an Uber or Lyft rather than risk getting into an accident. Second, if you are tired and must drive, try not to do so between the hours of midnight and 6 A.M. or late in the afternoon, if at all possible. It also helps to avoid driving on monotonous roads or share the driving responsibilities with a friend. In addition, avoid drinking any alcohol or taking medications that can affect alertness before getting behind the wheel. As you drive, monitor yourself for signs of sleepiness, including: Heavy eyelids or frequent blinking Yawning Daydreaming and trouble focusing Poor recall of the last few miles Drifting back and forth between lanes Hitting rumble strips Drooping head Tailgating Missing signs or exits Restlessness, irritability, and aggressiveness Take regular breaks, and if necessary, pull over and take a 20-minute nap before continuing on. As always, stay safe on the roads, and if you do get into a crash, come to one of our 18 Accident & Injury clinics near you and get the Pro Treatment.

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