Young People More Likely To Drive Drowsy

A recent survey conducted by the AAA Foundation found that young people are more likely to drive drowsy. One in seven licensed drivers ages 16-24 admitted to having nodded off at least once while driving in the past year as compared to one in ten of all licensed drivers who confessed to falling asleep during the same period, the study said.

Teens and adults in their twenties were found that have less sleep satisfaction and roughly one in five rated as "sleepy" on a standard clinical assessment tool that determines whether sleepiness impairs daily activities.

Using an analysis of previous data, the AAA Foundation estimates that about one in six deadly crashes involve a drowsy driver. The National Sleep Foundation's 2011 Sleep in America poll found that among those who drove, about one-half (52 percent) indicated that they have driven drowsy, with more than one-third (37 percent) doing so in the past month.

"Young Americans are sleepy, and this affects their health and safety. It's important to get the word out that it's dangerous to drive drowsy. This could save thousands of lives," David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation.

Sleepiness can impair drivers by causing slower reaction times, vision impairment, lapses in judgment and delays in processing information. In fact, studies show that being awake for more than 20 hours results in an impairment equal to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, the legal limit in all states. It is also possible to fall into a 3-4 second microsleep without realizing it.

The study advises people to stop driving if you exhibit warning signs such as difficulty focusing, frequent blinking and/or heavy eyelids, difficulty keeping reveries or daydreams at bay, trouble keeping your head up, drifting from your lane, swerving, tailgating and/or hitting rumble strips, inability to clearly remember the last few miles driven, missing exits or traffic signs, yawning repeatedly, feeling restless, irritable, or aggressive.