Drowsy Driving, AAA PSA

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently published a report on Drowsy Driving. This is their brief article on the report, which can be found in complete form here.

Drivers can barely keep their eyes open, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s annual Traffic Safety Culture Index. More than a third of drivers report having fallen asleep behind the wheel at some point in their lives, and more than one in ten has fallen asleep behind the wheel in the past year.

A Foundation study completed in Novembr 2014 found the impact of having drowsy drivers on the road is considerable. Drowsy drivers are involved in an estimated 21% of fatal crashes, up from 16.5% from the previous 2010 study, as most drivers drift out of their lanes or off the road. Drivers themselves are often crash victims who die in single-car crashes.Drowsy driver behind the wheel

Drivers have a near-universal understanding that driving when you’re too tired to keep your eyes open is risky. Almost every driver surveyed in our Traffic Safety Culture Index surveys – 96% — reported that they find driving while extremely drowsy “unacceptable.”

As with so many risky driving behaviors, too many people are inclined to apply their knowledge of drowsy-driving risks to others, but not themselves. Through our educational materials and outreach efforts, we hope to offer drivers strategies for managing the risks of drowsy driving and changing their own behaviors.