Drowsy Driving

Research shows that nearly 83.6 million sleep-deprived people are in the workplace, at school or driving on the road. A drowsy driver is a dangerous driver for a variety of reasons: Lack of sleep slows reaction time, impairs judgment and situational awareness, and increases lapses in attention and risk-taking – all skills necessary for safely operating a vehicle.

According to NHTSA, from 2009 to 2013, more than 72,000 police-reported crashes involved tired drivers, but it is agreed that drowsy driving is significantly underreported. The number of fatalities involving a drowsy driver was 775 (2.1% of total fatalities) in 2018.¹

The National Road Safety Foundation

GHSA partners with the National Road Safety Foundation to support innovative state approaches that address the pressing issue of drowsy driving through a competitive grant program. Grantee efforts have included projects enhancing public awareness campaigns, law enforcement training, outreach to fatigue-prone demographics of drivers and more. Further information about this partnership is available here.

¹ National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2019, October). 2018 fatal motor vehicle crashes: Overview. (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 812 826). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.