Many driving behaviors endanger both the life of the driver, as well as other drivers on the road, or even pedestrians and cyclists. Most of the top reckless behaviors are well-established as risky, and this includes drowsy driving.
In recent years, safety organizations and concerned citizens have made a push toward recognizing drowsy driving as the enormous threat it is. To this day, it continues to take a large human toll.
Shared risks of drowsy driving
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving proves dangerous for many drivers. Drowsy driving has similar problems that come along with other forms of distracted driving, such as texting while driving. For example, when texting, you do not pay attention to the road. Drowsy drivers may also lose their focus and can even fall asleep for short periods of time, meaning their eyes leave the road, too.
On top of that, intoxicated drivers and drowsy drivers also share some problems. Both drivers struggle with concentration and mental processing capabilities. Both drivers also have slowed reflexes and will struggle to identify potential dangers, which decreases the chance of reacting appropriately in a risky situation.
How common is it?
Drowsy driving is also alarmingly common. Unlike texting while driving or intoxicated driving, many drivers mistakenly believe that driving drowsy is no big deal. They see friends and family doing it safely, and they have likely done it safely, too. Thus, they perpetuate the notion that you will not get hurt if you drive when you grow tired.
Unfortunately, this is not the truth. Serious crashes and fatalities linked to drowsy driving continue to rise, and this trend will likely continue until drowsy driving problems get addressed at the root.