When it comes to dangerous driving behaviors, drowsy driving is getting more attention as of late. It is actually one of the most common forms of dangerous distracted driving plaguing the roads in America currently.
One of the many things that makes it such a big problem is the fact that drowsy driving easily involves other drivers, potentially harming them or even killing them.
Commonalities with drowsy driving and intoxication
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the answer to this question remains a resounding yes: drowsy driving hurts more drivers. In this way, it is not so different from other deadly forms of distracted driving, such as texting while driving. It is even similar to intoxicated driving in several ways, including how the body reacts to exhaustion.
Some shared traits between intoxication and drowsy driving include trouble concentrating, slowed reaction times and an inability to predict potential dangers as they arise. This makes it hard or even impossible to avoid crashes even if you notice the red flags in advance.
Sleeping behind the wheel
Of course, drowsy drivers also risk falling asleep behind the wheel. This completely robs them of their ability to react to their surroundings in any way. Many of the deadliest crashes involving drowsy driving take place in these periods of unconsciousness and can involve drivers veering off the side of the road or across the meridian and into oncoming traffic.
Drowsy driving, unfortunately, continues to have many participants due to the overall view of the populace on how dangerous it is. In order to reduce drowsy driving crashes, it is important to change how the public views drowsy driving.