Drunk driving has been a safety scourge for decades. Public awareness campaigns and increased enforcement efforts have helped ensure that people are aware of drunk driving risks, although many people continue to drive after drinking despite that knowledge. Somewhat similarly, distracted driving has recently become more of an enforcement and awareness priority. The use of mobile devices while driving and other forms of distraction, like eating, can directly lead to a preventable collision. There is another unsafe driving habit that countless United States motorists engage in on a regular basis. Drowsy or fatigued driving is incredibly unsafe. What makes it such a concern for motorists?

Drowsy driving affects vehicle control

Someone who has gone many hours without rest may have driving skills comparable to those of a drunk motorist. They have a longer reaction time than others and may have a harder time focusing. When they need to make decisions because of changing traffic conditions, their exhaustion may compromise their cognitive abilities. As if that were not concerning enough, fatigued drivers may also fall asleep at the wheel. Even when people know they feel incredibly tired, they may tell themselves that they can drive because they need to get home to get some rest. They could then end up causing a crash that injures them or other people.

Drowsy driving is shockingly common

Many successful professionals brag about how little sleep they get and how hard they work. That lack of rest adds up over time to have a cumulative impact on someone’s overall health and their safety on the road. It is nearly impossible to know exactly how many people drive when too tired to be fully safe. However, what data is available paints a grim picture. As many as one in 25 motorists admit to losing consciousness while driving in the last 30 days. Some of those drivers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel more than once. Drowsy driving is both very dangerous and very common. Unlike drunk driving or distracted driving, it can be very difficult to obtain objective evidence of someone’s fatigue unless there are records of them working an 18-hour shift at work or camera footage of them dozing off at the wheel right before the crash. Still, those affected by drowsy drivers may have the option of pursuing an insurance claim or even a personal injury lawsuit against them because their fatigue may have translated into verifiable mistakes in traffic. Understanding what factors contribute the most to personal risk on the road can help people make safer choices for themselves and hold other people accountable in the event that negligence leads to harm.