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Shocking Statistics: Why do 23% of adults admit to falling asleep while driving?
According to a survey, 23% of adults admitted that they have fallen asleep while driving. This alarming data has triggered people to think deeply about the problem of drowsy driving. Drowsy driving, also known as drowsy driving, refers to driving a motor vehicle while under severe mental influence, and the reason behind it is often a lack of adequate sleep. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, male drivers are twice as likely as women to admit to falling asleep at the wheel, and approximately 250,000 drivers in the United States fall asleep behind the wheel every day.
According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation, 54% of adult drivers said they had driven while sleepy in the past year, and 28% even admitted to falling asleep while driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 crashes each year, killing 6,550 people and injuring approximately 80,000 people. The effects of fatigue on drivers are obvious, with lack of sleep leading to reduced coordination, longer reaction times, impaired judgment and memory impairment.
The impact of sleep deprivation on driving performance
The impact of lack of sleep on driving ability is mainly reflected in four aspects: impaired coordination, prolonged reaction time, reduced judgment and memory loss. Research shows that getting enough sleep before driving can significantly improve memory. The researchers recorded activity in the hippocampus during learning and found that activity patterns during sleep were similar to those during learning, albeit faster. Therefore, sleep quality directly affects driving safety.
Signs of fatigue that drivers need to be aware of include: difficulty concentrating, frequent blinking or heavy eyelids, daydreaming, unrelated thoughts, difficulty remembering the past few kilometers or missing exit and street signs, and repeated yawning or rubbing eyes, difficulty holding head, drifting between lanes, tailgating, or touching curbs or tremble strips, feeling restless and irritable.
Comparison between lack of sleep and drunk driving
Many studies have found that lack of sleep affects driving as much as (and sometimes more than) alcohol. British researchers pointed out that driving after being awake for 17 to 18 hours is as harmful as driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%, which is the legal limit in many European countries. This phenomenon not only attracted the attention of academic circles, but was also verified in the popular program "Mysterious Science", which specifically explored the difference between "tip drunk and tired" and confirmed the dangers of drowsy driving.
Accident data on driving fatigue
According to a comprehensive analysis in 2017, fatigue driving is positively correlated with the risk of car collisions, and drivers are about twice as likely to have a car accident when they are tired. NHTSA estimates that between 2011 and 2015, driver fatigue was involved in approximately 1.4% of crashes in the United States, and 2.0% of crashes resulting in injury. However, due to limitations in reporting and investigation, experts believe this figure significantly underestimates the number of accidents caused by drowsy driving.
Drowsy driving in commercial transportation and the military
Drowsy driving is also a serious problem in commercial transportation and the military. About 20% of commercial pilots and 18% of train operators admitted to making major errors due to fatigue. According to a survey of 80 long-haul truck drivers, the average amount of sleep they got was less than 5 hours. The National Transportation Safety Board reports that drowsy driving may be the cause of more than half of truck driver fatalities.
Government’s response
Governments around the world have taken measures to reduce the occurrence of drowsy driving, such as through education and setting up noise strips on the road to alert drivers. In addition, in 2018 Western Australia launched a "Driver Energization Program" that provides free coffee to help drivers stay awake. These measures aim to draw public attention to drowsy driving and remind drivers to assign appropriate importance to the need for rest and sleep.
The safety of drivers should be given top priority, but can we truly realize the dangers of fatigue driving and take proactive measures to prevent this phenomenon from happening?
