Have you ever driven tired and drowsy? I will admit, I have. I once drove six hours to Tennessee after working third shift. I look back on that incident and realize how lucky I was to have made it in one piece without having an accident. Of course, this was long before I started working in sleep medicine and became aware of the dangers of drowsy driving and the need for restful sleep. What I did not know then and what most people fail to realize is the effects of drowsy driving actually can mimic the effects of drunk driving. A research study in the late 1990s found that being awake for 18 hours produced impairment equal to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05, and after 24 hours of being awake, the number jumped to 0.10, which renders the same effects as driving under the influence. Studies have shown that drowsiness effects result in slower reaction times, impaired judgment and vision, decline in attention to important signs, road changes, and the actions of other vehicles, decreased alertness, which can prevent someone from seeing an obstacle and avoiding a crash, increased moodiness and aggressive behavior, problems with processing information and short-term memory, microsleeping, which are brief two-thirds of a second sleep episodes.

Drowsy driving claims many lives and injures thousands of Americans each year. It accounts for one out of six auto fatalities and is the number one killer of our teenagers nationwide. Other high risk groups for drowsy driving include shift workers, commercial drivers, people with undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders (like sleep apnea), and business travelers. Statistics have shown that most accidents occur between midnight and 8 a.m. and the second higher risk time period for drowsy driving accidents occurs between 1 and 3 p.m.

Warning signs to look for when driving would be having to turn up the radio, rolling down the window, trouble focusing and keeping your eyes open or your head up, daydreaming, wandering thoughts, yawning, rubbing your eyes, drifting from your lane, tailgating, missing signs on the road or your exits, and feeling irritable or aggressive.

To combat drowsy driving, make sure to watch for your warning signs of tiredness and fatigue and stop driving – find a rest area, take a 15-20 minute nap, consume caffeine, you can also try consuming caffeine before taking a short nap to get the benefits of both, drive with a passenger, who can take over the driving, avoid alcohol and sedating medications.

Drowsy driving is a national public health and safety problem. Education and public awareness are key to keeping our families and loved ones safe when on the road. Make sure your kids are getting enough sleep and if your kids or yourself are having difficulties sleeping recurrently, make sure to talk with your primary physician, as there may be an underlying sleep disorder that requires a sleep study or a referral to a sleep specialist.