Sunday, March 20, 2011

Just as Dangerous as Driving Drunk: Driving Long Hours at Night

Approximately 20 percent of all traffic accidents can be attributed to prolonged nighttime highway driving, according to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research. Being sleepy at the wheel can be a result of too few hours of zzz's; it can also be caused by medication. Drivers who were tested in this study showed significant impairment: They drove as badly --as dangerously-- as drivers who had been drinking. Two hours of nighttime driving was the equivalent of a blood alcohol level of .05; three hours, .08.

On a related note, here's a frightening statistic: According to the National Sleep Foundation, 37 percent of drivers in the United States admit to falling asleep at the wheel within the past year.

Sleepy? The best thing to do might be to leave the car at home and not risk being the cause of the next accident reported on the Beltway.

1 comment:

  1. I recommend reading the medication's label, typically it will say do not use this medication while operating heavy machinery. I believe a car falls under the category of heavy machinery.

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