Online-only: Nearly one-third of drivers have been sleepy behind the wheel, survey finds
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* Donya Currie

Despite the obvious safety risk, almost a third of drivers admit to driving when they were so tired they had difficulty keeping their eyes open, according to a recent traffic safety survey.

Released in November by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the survey found 32 percent of drivers had driven drowsy in the previous month. The finding was particularly troubling in light of a 2010 foundation study that found one of every six deadly crashes and one of eight crashes with serious injury involved a drowsy driver.

“Although the vast majority of drivers recognize the serious threat of drowsy driving, a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude exists when getting behind the wheel,” said Peter Kissinger, foundation president and CEO. “Drowsy driving kills, just as sure as drunk, drugged and distracted driving does. Drivers have a tendency to underestimate the impact being tired has on their driving ability, which puts themselves and others at risk.”

The survey found two of every five drivers, or 41 percent, admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel at some point. One in 10 drivers said they had fallen asleep while driving during the past year.

“What’s so alarming is that over half of these drivers reported having fallen asleep while on high-speed roads,” said Jake Nelson, the foundation’s director of traffic safety advocacy and research. “These data underscore the importance of educating drivers about the dangers of drowsy driving.”

The 2011 survey found nearly all drivers believed it is unacceptable to drive while drowsy, and 82 percent believed it is unacceptable for someone to drive when they are having trouble keeping their eyes open. Fifty-six percent of the drivers surveyed rated people driving while they are sleepy as a very serious safety threat.

The 2010 study on drowsy driving found vehicles in which a passenger accompanied the driver were nearly 50 percent less likely to be involved in a drowsy driving related crash. That study also found about 57 percent of drowsy driving crashes involved the driver drifting into other lanes or off the road and that younger drivers ages 16–24 were nearly twice as likely to be involved in a drowsy driving crash as drivers ages 40–59.

The foundation released the 2011 survey findings during Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, which is sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, to help raise awareness about the potentially fatal problem of driving while sleepy.

“It is shocking to consider that nearly a third of drivers admit to operating a vehicle in the last month while drowsy,” said David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation. “We applaud AAA’s work to call attention toward this important public safety issue.”

The warning signs of sleepiness behind the wheel include having difficulty keeping eyes open and focused, drifting from a lane, swerving, tailgating, hitting rumble strips and the inability to remember the last few miles driven. Among the safety tips offered by the foundation: Get plenty of sleep the night before a long trip, schedule a break every two hours or 100 miles and travel with an awake passenger.

The foundation’s brochure “How to Avoid Drowsy Driving” as well as the full survey results from the 2011 safety culture survey and the 2010 report “Asleep at the Wheel: the Prevalence and Impact of Drowsy Driving” are available at [www.aaafoundation.org](http://www.aaafoundation.org).

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association