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Drowsy & Nighttime Driving

Reduced visibility combined with sleep deprivation make driving at night dangerous

DID YOU KNOW…

  • In 2019, 58% of young adult fatal crashes occurred between 6 pm – 6 am (1).
  • Rural roadways can be especially dangerous at night due to higher numbers of unlit roadways. In 2019, 45% of fatal traffic crashes occurred on rural roads, 45% (7,305) of those occurred at night (10).
  • A majority of speeding-related fatalities occurred at night in Urban areas (57%) (10).

The impact of sleep habits on driving and other areas:

  • Sleepiness and irregular sleep schedules have many unintended consequences, one of which is to negatively impact learning, memory, and performance (3).
  • Men are more likely to fall asleep while driving than women (3).
  • A study found that individuals who have slept less than 2 hours in the prior 24 hours are too sleep deprived to get behind the wheel of a vehicle (5).
  • A survey found that young drivers report being “reluctant to miss out” and have an “always-on lifestyle” that can contribute to drowsy driving as they are getting less than six hours of sleep each night (6).
    • 70% of participants surveyed admitted to driving tired
    • 50% reported actually falling asleep or nearly falling asleep at the wheel citing:
      • A busy schedule: 43%
      • Staying up late to do homework: 32%
      • Staying up late for social activities: 24%
      • Working late hours during the week: 20%
      • Being tired or hung over from drinking/partying the night before: 10%

Drowsy vs. Impaired:

  • The dangerous combination of sleep loss and alcohol could impair driving performance even in students who are not legally intoxicated (3).
  • Drowsy driving and impaired driving have similar effects (2,4).  Both cause:
    • Problems with information processing and short-term memory
    • Increased moodiness and aggressive behaviors
    • Decreased performance, vigilance, and motivation
    • Impaired reaction time, judgment, and vision

Identifying Drowsy Driving:

  • Here are some signs of being tired and it’s time to pull over (7).

Preventing Drowsy Driving:

  • Before you drive, consider whether you are (7):
    • Sleep-deprived or fatigues (6 hrs of sleep or less triples your risk)
    • Suffering from sleep loss (insomnia) or poor quality sleep
    • Driving long distances without proper rest breaks
    • Driving through the night or when you would normally be asleep
    • Studying a lot or attending more activities than usual, which may be decreasing your sleep time
    • Drinking even small amounts of alcohol
    • Driving alone or on a long, rural dark or boring road
  • Lifestyle habits and good planning can help prevent drowsy driving (7):
    • Get a good night’s sleep before you hit the road.
    • Don’t be too rushed to arrive at your destination. Many drivers try to maximize the holiday weekend by driving at night or without stopping for breaks.
    • It’s better to allow the time to drive alert and arrive alive.
    • Use the buddy system. A buddy who remains awake for the journey can take a turn behind the wheel and help identify the warning signs of fatigue
    • Take a break every 100 miles or 2 hours. Do something to refresh yourself like getting a snack, switching drivers or going for a jog
    • Take a nap. Find a safe place to take a 15-20 minute nap if you think you might fall asleep. Be cautious about excessive drowsiness after waking up.
    • Avoid alcohol and medications that may cause drowsiness as a side-effect
    • Consume caffeine. The equivalent of two cups of coffee can increase alertness for several hours.

The problem of visibility at night:

  • The average person’s field of vision is smaller without the aid of light, and glare from oncoming headlights can further limit the ability to see clearly and avoid hazards (8).
  • High Intensity lights are becoming more common. These lights are brighter to on-coming traffic and require your eyes to adjust faster (8).
  • It is more difficult to judge other vehicle’s speeds and distances at night.
  • Dusk is the most dangerous time since your eyes are constantly having to adjust to more darkness (9).

What to do about poor visibility:

  • Keep distractions to a minimum to keep your eyes and attention on the road.
  • Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. Don’t overdrive your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated area. If you can’t, you are creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle (11).
  • Keep your headlights and windshield clean. A thin film of debris on your headlights can reduce your visibility significantly (11).
  • Avoid the glare of oncoming vehicles by watching the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide (11).

Sources:

  1. IIHS, Fatality Facts 2019, Teenagers, Available at: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/teenagers#when-teenagers-died
  2. Jackson ML, Croft RJ, Kennedy GA, Owens K, Howard ME. Cognitive components of simulated driving performance: sleep loss effects and predictors. Accid AnalPrev.2012;50:438.
  3. Hershner, and Chervin R.D. Causes and Consequences of Sleepiness Among College Students. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2014.
  4. National Sleep Foundation
  5. National Sleep Foundation:https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/expert-consensus-panel-concludes-missing-night-sleep-renders-drivers-unfit
  6. Liberty Mutual & SADD:https://www.libertymutualgroup.com/about-lm/news/news-release-archive/articles/new-study-finds-teens-fear-of-missing-out-is-proving-to-be-dangerous
  7. org
  8. Texas A&M Transportation Institute
  9. National Safety Council
  10. National Highway Traffic Safety, Rural/Urban Comparison of Traffic Fatalities, Traffic Safety Facts, 2017 data, Available at: )  https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812957
  11. AAA Foundation

Updated August 2021