This weekend clocks will be turned back an hour as daylight savings time ends, which can increase the chance of drowsy driving. Drowsy driving is more common than many might think. A survey showed that over 60 percent of drivers in the U.S. have driven when they were tired, and nearly 37 percent say they have actually fallen asleep behind the wheel. When driving at highway speeds, even a few seconds of dozing off could be enough to cause a serious accident.
Teens are especially likely to drive while tired because they often stay up late, even though they need more sleep than adults — around eight to nine hours a night.
“We’ll be driving more in the dark, and that’s when more accidents happen,” says Michelle Anderson from the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF). The NRSF reports that drowsy driving causes around 100,000 crashes each year.
Experts say everyone should look out for warning signs of drowsiness while driving, like:
– Trouble focusing or frequent blinking
– Daydreaming or not remembering the last few miles
– Head snapping, yawning, or drifting out of your lane
– Hitting the rumble strips on the side of the road
When anyone feels any of these symptoms, they should find a safe place to pull over. Take a quick 20-minute nap or have some coffee, but remember caffeine takes about 30 minutes to kick in. Blasting the radio or opening windows doesn’t help much to keep people awake.
Passengers, should also speak up if the driver seems too tired! It might feel a bit awkward, but speaking up could prevent an accident.
The NRSF has free programs on drowsy driving, including videos, quizzes, and sleep logs, available at www.nrsf.org/programs/drowsy-driving. This organization, which started over 60 years ago, creates programs on topics like distracted driving, speeding, and other important driving safety issues. They even have contests to get teens involved in spreading safe driving messages to their friends and communities.