Driving while drowsy can be a dangerous — and sometimes deadly — decision.
From 2004 through 2008 in Tennessee, at least 118 car crashes involved people who were apparently asleep behind the wheel, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety.
Nationwide, sleepiness-related crashes are responsible for at least 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in losses each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Merrill Wise, medical director of the sleep lab at Regional Hospital of Jackson, said sleepy driving is just as dangerous as other conditions of impairment.
“Driving while drowsy is thought to be similar in many cases to driving while intoxicated,” he said. “And in many states, drowsy driving accidents are now more common than drunk driving-related accidents.”
Nov. 8-14 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. Regional Hospital will host a lunch meeting entitled “How Sleep Affects Our Health: Case Studies in Sleep Medicine” featuring Wise at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 9 in the lower level conference center at the hospital.
Feeling drowsy while driving can be a sign of a sleep disorder or problem, Wise said.
“Drowsy driving is particularly dangerous in teens and young adults because this group often does not get enough sleep,” he said. “They are less experienced drivers, and they drive more often at night.”
Lt. Ron Adams of the Jackson Police Department said anything that would impair decision making skills and reaction times is not safe for driving — including drowsiness.
“If a car is driving 55 mph, it’s going almost 81 feet per second,” he said. “Even if your reaction is slowed by half a second, that’s 40 feet where you aren’t focused. It doesn’t take much to make a big difference. At 80 feet per second, a lot can happen.”
Wise said difficulty focusing, frequent blinking or heavy-feeling eyelids could be signs of drowsiness for a driver.
“Drowsiness while driving may be obvious to some individuals, but it may not be as apparent to others,” he said. Other signs include daydreaming or wandering thoughts; trouble remembering the last few miles driven or missing exits or traffic signals; repeatedly yawning or rubbing the eyes; drifting across lanes or hitting the shoulder rumble strips, Wise said.
Adams, who works with the Police Department’s Traffic Unit, said anything that could delay a driver’s reaction or slow a response makes the driver more susceptible to a crash.
There is no specific traffic offense for driving while drowsy, but a person could be cited for failure to maintain control of a vehicle — or even reckless driving if the condition causes a wreck, Adams said.
“I think anyone who’s worked the street long enough has pulled over someone who looked like a drunk driver only to find out they’re tired,” he said.
Adams said drivers who find themselves feeling sleepy should stop the car, get out and walk around for a few minutes to wake the body up.
Wise offers more advice to sleepy drivers, including talking with a physician about potential sleep disorders.
“The person who experiences drowsiness while driving should pull over and let someone else drive, or take countermeasures such as take a brief nap, drink a cup of coffee, or walk around to help wake up,” he said.
Drivers should be well rested before a long road trip, Wise said. The average adult functions best with seven to nine hours of sleep a night; teenagers function best with about nine and a half hours of sleep, he said.
“The combination of sleep deprivation plus alcohol consumption is especially dangerous,” he said. “Using measures such as talking on a cell phone, turning up the radio volume or turning on the air conditioner are not likely to be helpful for drowsy driving.”
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