As written in The Iliad by Homer, Sleep and his Twin brother Death were never far apart from each other. This relationship is especially true when it comes to drowsy driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 100,000 crashes each year result from driver fatigue, sleepiness or exhaustion, resulting in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.

“While people may know the consequences of falling asleep at the wheel, they do not know how at-risk they may be,” says John Rancourt, a spokesman for the National Sleep Foundation. “Studies have shown individuals are unable to accurately predict when they will fall asleep.”

To prevent drowsy-driving crashes, the foundation will launch Drowsy Driving Prevention Week (www.drowsydriving.org) from Nov. 10 to Nov. 16, with an aim of educating younger drivers. Sleep-deprived crashes are most common among high school and college students—the NHTSA found that drivers aged 16 to 29 (especially young men) were four times more likely to have sleep-related crashes than drivers aged 30 or over.

But students aren’t the only ones catching Z’s behind the wheel. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2005 “Sleep in America” poll revealed that 60 percent of adults admitted to driving while feeling drowsy and that 37 percent actually fell asleep at the wheel.

On average, experts say that we require seven to eight hours of sleep per night—with less than six hours of sleep, a driver will have a slower reaction time and impaired judgment. In fact, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that people who sleep six to seven hours are twice as likely to get into a crash than those who sleep eight hours or more.

In another survey, the AAA Foundation found that 88 percent of the drivers that police officers stopped, because they assumed were drunk, turned out to be sleep-deprived instead. Some studies have found that sleep deprivation of more than 24 hours is equivalent to a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.10 percent—over the legal limit for a DWI conviction in all U.S. states.

The National Sleep Foundation also reports that sleepiness and fatigue can result from too little sleep; interrupted or fragmented sleep; circadian factors associated with driving patterns or work schedules; the use of sedating medications; the consumption of alcohol when already tired; or sleep disorders. “Between 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders, and people who remain untreated are seven times more likely to fall asleep at the wheel,” Rancourt adds.

Since younger drivers are the most at risk for falling asleep at the wheel, the best way to prevent drowsy driving might be to speak their language. Facebook, a popular social Website, includes many users who promote the awareness of drowsy driving. With catchy group names, such as “Take a Brake, Stay Awake” and “Snoring Isn’t Sexy,” many groups aim to educate teens about safe-driving practices as well as true-life stories of crashes caused by sleep-deprived drivers. Other sites show clips of celebrities warning about the dangers of drowsy driving—Jeopardy show host Alex Trebek shares his own near-death experience from falling asleep at the wheel on YouTube, for example.

In addition, online driving courses such as the Elliott Alertness Method suggest exercise as a way of increasing blood flow and staying alert while driving. The method, which was developed by John Paul Elliott III, a former Army Corps of Combat Engineers officer, is used by military pilots.
Automakers are also attempting to prevent drowsy driving with motion detectors, vibrating seats and scolding alert systems that make it more difficult to nod off from behind the wheel. Safety, however, does not come cheap, as most of these safety features are currently offered only in luxury brands such as Volvo and Saab.

Jennifer Fauci is an English major at Adelphi University pursuing her bachelor’s degree in English Literature.

Preventing Drowsiness Behind the Wheel 

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the National Sleep Foundation advises drivers to follow these tips to avoid the risk of falling asleep behind the wheel:

•Get a good night’s sleep. Experts recommend sleeping for seven to nine hours a night; six hours of sleep or less triples your risk of getting drowsy behind the wheel.

•Avoid taking medications that cause drowsiness. Some cold medications, for instance, could impair your judgment, reaction time and driving abilities. If you must take certain prescriptions that cause drowsiness, don’t drive immediately after taking them.

•Do not drink alcohol. Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your judgment and reaction time.

•Take frequent breaks. Stop for food or a coffee, or take turns behind the wheel with a companion. Pull over to stop and rest every 100 miles or two hours when possible. Avoid driving alone for long distances.

•Drive during daylight hours. Driving during hours when you would normally be asleep also increases your risk.

- Jennifer Fauci