Drowsy drivers were involved in 18% of all fatal crashes over a recent five-year period, leading to nearly 30,000 deaths, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates.
Researchers looked at 2017-21 data on in-depth crash investigations from the Crash Investigation Sampling System and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The sample encompassed more than 229,000 drivers of passenger vehicles involved in more than 163,000 unique crashes.
“The percentage of fatal crashes involving drowsy driving remained approximately constant over the study period,” the researchers write. “However, the annual number of fatal drowsy driving crashes increased significantly over the study period due to a large increase in total annual fatal crashes.”
An estimated 6,726 deaths resulted from drowsy driving in 2021 – up from 5,773 in 2017.
Other findings:
- Men ages 21-34 made up the largest number of drowsy drivers in the crashes.
- Most of the crashes occurred on rural or urban arterial roads, between 11 p.m. and 2:59 a.m., and involved a vehicle driving off the road.
- The drivers who crashed between 3 and 6:59 a.m. were most likely to be drowsy.
The researchers say more effective countermeasures are needed to combat drowsy driving and prevent drowsy driving crashes. Future research, they add, could focus on the effectiveness of potential countermeasures.
Too tired to drive?
The following are signs and symptoms of drowsy driving, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:
- Frequent yawning or difficulty keeping your eyes open
- Nodding off or having trouble keeping your head up
- Inability to remember driving the last few miles
- Missing road signs or turns
- Difficulty maintaining your speed
- Drifting out of your lane
Interventions for drowsy driving
Drowsy driving affects everyone, including adolescents and teens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends teens get eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. Interventions focusing on this age group can help move the needle to reduce drowsy driving. One such intervention is for parents to incorporate discussions and rules on drowsy driving while completing their parent-teen driving agreements.
Other ways to reduce drowsy driving include:
- Crash-avoidance technologies: Safety technologies such as drowsiness alert and lane departure warnings can detect common drowsy driving patterns and warn drivers to stay in their lane or take a break
- University interventions: College students receive less than average sleep, with some estimates at less than six hours a night; education programs aimed at college students may help curb drowsy driving and instill healthier behaviors that can last into adulthood
- Getting more sleep: According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, adults should get seven or more hours of sleep each night
- Medication labels: An article by Consumer Reports found that side-effect warnings are not always clear; new labeling guidelines may help drivers understand when to drive or not drive after taking these medications
- Employer action: Workplaces with strong off-the-job safety and health programs can include key information on getting sufficient sleep and refraining from drowsy driving
