Summary: As daylight saving time ends and clocks move back an hour, the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) is raising awareness of the increased risk of drowsy driving. This shift in time disrupts sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and a higher chance of drowsy driving incidents, which are especially common among teens and drivers who underestimate the dangers of driving while tired. The NRSF highlights the signs of drowsiness and advises drivers to pull over if they experience fatigue, emphasizing the importance of caution to prevent accidents.
Key Takeaways:
- Increased Drowsy Driving Risk: With the end of daylight saving time, drivers face an increased risk of drowsy driving due to disrupted sleep patterns and extended hours of darkness.
- Drowsy Driving Dangers: Drowsy driving is responsible for an estimated 100,000 crashes annually, with signs like frequent blinking, drifting, and head snaps indicating it’s time to pull over.
- Prevention Advice: The NRSF urges drivers to watch for drowsiness symptoms, take breaks, and avoid ineffective remedies like loud music or open windows; passengers should also speak up if they notice fatigue in drivers.
When we move our clocks back an hour this weekend as daylight savings time ends, the risk of drowsy driving increases, warns the National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit group that produces free driver safety materials used in schools and by parents nationwide.
The foundation notes that drowsy driving is more prevalent than many people think. More than 60% of US motorists have driven while fatigued, and nearly 37% admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel, surveys show. At highway speeds, a driver who dozes for only four or five seconds can travel more than the length of a football field, crossing into oncoming traffic or off the road.
Drowsy driving is especially common among teens, who tend to keep late hours and think they can function on minimal sleep. Ironically, experts say, teens require more sleep than adults—eight to nine hours each night for teens versus seven to eight for adults.
“We’ll be doing more driving in the dark, and that’s when more crashes occur,” says Michelle Anderson of the National Road Safety Foundation, in a news release.
Anderson cites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that say an estimated 100,000 crashes each year are caused by drowsy driving, and AAA estimates that 21% of fatal crashes involve driver fatigue.
Safety experts remind drivers to never drink alcohol before driving and to check any medications they take to see if they might induce drowsiness.
Tips and Resources to Prevent Drowsy Driving
The National Road Safety Foundation urges drivers to be alert to these signs of drowsiness while driving:
- Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, rubbing eyes
- Daydreaming or not remembering the last few miles driven
- Head snaps and yawning
- Drifting out of your lane, tailgating or hitting rumble strips
If you experience any of these warning signs, the foundation says drivers should find a safe place to pull over and take a break. “Have a cup of coffee or a caffeinated snack or take a 20-minute nap. Allow 30 minutes for caffeine to enter your bloodstream. Some common remedies like blasting the radio or opening the car windows are not effective at avoiding drowsiness while driving,” reads the news release.
Fatigue can cause “micro-sleeps” lasting several seconds, which can have devastating results when driving. “We’ve seen too many examples of people trying to make it those last few miles when fatigued, only to crash a few blocks from home,” says Anderson in a release. “Don’t try to tough it out.”
Anderson also encourages passengers to speak up if they are with a driver who seems fatigued. “Don’t worry about being considered a back-seat driver,” she says in a release. “Speaking up about any risky behavior, whether it’s drowsiness or speeding or distraction can save lives.”
The National Road Safety Foundation has free programs on drowsy driving, including “Almost Home,” an 18-minute video, as well as a drowsiness self-assessment quiz and a personal sleep log.
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