Sleep-deprived drivers are high safety risk

Sleep-deprived drivers are high safety risk

Drivers who miss just one to two hours of the recommended seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period nearly double their risk for a crash, according to new research from the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 35 percent of U.S. drivers sleep less than the recommended seven hours daily. Drowsy drivers are involved in more than one in five fatal crashes on U.S. roadways every year.

–Our new research shows that a driver who has slept for less than five hours has a crash risk comparable to someone driving drunk,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the Foundation.

Even though 97 percent of drivers told the AAA Foundation they view drowsy driving as a completely unacceptable behavior that is a serious threat to their safety, nearly one in three admit that at least once in the past month they drove when they were so tired they had a hard time keeping their eyes open.