PHOENIX - AAA Arizona has released some alarming numbers about the danger drowsy drivers bring to Arizona roads.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, two out of every five drivers admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel at least once, with one in 10 saying they've done so in the past year.
During Drowsy Driving Prevention Week this week, AAA Arizona is alerting motorists to the dangers of this common, yet underestimated driving practice.
"Driving drowsy is similar in many ways to driving drunk. Awareness decreases, reaction time slows, judgment is impaired, and your risk of crashing skyrockets," said Linda Gorman, director of communications and public affairs for AAA Arizona.
"People acknowledge that they should not drive sleep deprived, yet continue to do it. Therefore, we want to remind drivers of the dangers of this practice, and to offer warning signs and solutions to help avoid this act."
In the third annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, AAA Arizona revealed that nearly all drivers, 96% believe it is unacceptable for someone to drive when they have trouble keeping their eyes open. (Wow! Ya think???)
AAA Arizona reportedly found that many drivers have put themselves in this dangerous situation.
The following are driver habit highlights from the index:
41% have "fallen asleep or nodded off" while driving at least once in their lifetime; 11 percent have done so within the past year, and 4 percent in the past month.
27% admitted to having driven while they were so sleepy they had difficulty keeping their eyes open within the past month.
55% of those drivers who reported having fallen asleep while driving said that it occurred on a high-speed divided highway.
59% of those drivers who reported having fallen asleep while driving said they had been driving for less than an hour before falling asleep.
Men (52%) were much more likely than women (30%) to report having ever fallen asleep while driving. (Are men more tired, or more honest???)
To demonstrate the impact of drowsy driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has compiled a new analysis of crash data, revealing that:
An estimated 16.5% (one in six) of fatal crashes involve a drowsy driver.
Younger drivers ages 16 to 24 were nearly twice as likely to be involved in a drowsy driving crash than drivers ages 40 to 59.
About 57% of drowsy driving crashes involved the driver drifting into other lanes or even off the road.
"Many people underestimate the threat associated with driving while fatigued, but this data emphasizes the severe consequences of choosing to drive drowsy," said Gorman. "With these sobering statistics in mind, we encourage drivers to practice smart habits and a little extra planning to avoid driving tired and to prevent a possible tragedy."
OK. Some simple rules.
If you are sleepy, don’t drive.
If you are driving and get tried, stop.
If you are driving and get tired, let someone else drive.
If you are going somewhere and know you are gonna be tired, let someone else drive.
Get plenty of sleep (at least six hours) the night before a long trip.
Drive with a passenger so they may stay alert and notice signs of the driver getting drowsy.
We don’t allow people to get away with drunk driving. It infuriates us when a drunk driver causes an accident. However, “tired driving” is an everyday and frequent occurrence, and gets little mention.
Remember: You are JUST AS LIABLE for a motor vehicle collision if you are tired, drunk, texting, not paying attention or goofing off. If you cause the accident, “I was tired” is not an excuse, and, does not make the innocent party (or you) any less injured or damaged.
Please be respectful of others on the road. Please make sure that you have the ability and capacity to control your vehicle before you get in.
The snowbirds are on their way, and the roadways will be much more crowded. Let’s be safe out there!
Everyone, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.