We don’t think about the dangers of falling asleep behind the wheel as often as we should. It’s too bad because, unlike distracted driving and drunk driving, which seem to have immediate technological solutions, driver wakefulness seems to be an easily addressed danger.
As part of Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, this issue is getting renewed attention. AAA released a study that shows that, while distracted driving is a well-known danger, many people report feeling drowsy when driving.
A third of drivers admit to driving drunk.
- Nearly a third of drivers admitted to driving drowsy in the last month, even though 96 percent said it was unacceptable.
- Driving while you’re still asleep invites nightmares. AAA estimates that nearly one-third of traffic deaths and one-third of accidents that lead to injuries that require hospitalization are caused by a sleepy driver.
How to avoid driving when you are tired
AAA recommends the following: Get enough sleep before you go on road trips. Take regular breaks of 2 hours. If necessary, use caffeine and bring someone to keep you company.
These are all great, common-sense pieces of advice. But sometimes, it’s not enough to control human behavior. This is a concept that we implicitly include in the term auto-collisions “accidents”. If we accept that humans are susceptible to error, then we need to do something systemically.
Technology Advances Are Helping Too
Technology advances and their increasing widespread use may offer a simple solution. Driver monitoring systems that monitor driver movements and drifting between lanes have been in use since 2006 to wake drivers up when they are feeling sleepy.
Safety systems are used by many vehicles, including Lexus, Mercedes and Volvo, GMs, BMWs, Hyundai’s, Renault Trucks, and others such as Volvo, Lexus, Mercedes and Volvo.
Some drivers might object to intrusive systems that give unnecessary alerts. However, laser optic technology, which senses the speed and proximity of other vehicles, has the potential to reduce accidents in a moment or two of distraction.
There are also concerns regarding the cost of this system, despite evidence showing the dangers of sleeping drivers. A 2009 study by the government on trucking systems found that the annual cost of crashes would drop in a way more than enough to pay for the technology.
As we gain more knowledge about the benefits of vehicle and driver monitoring systems, the price of this technology is falling. We will soon be able put to rest drowsy driving worries.
Summarized from an article by GJEL Accident Attorneys.
