A tired driver can be a dangerous threat to himself, the passengers, and the other people and vehicles on the road. Drowsiness not only slows down your reaction time, but also decreases awareness and impairs your judgement. These are also the signs that are seen in a driver under the influence of alcohol. Much similar to a drunk driver, drowsy driving can cause you to make a wrong decision behind the wheel.A recent study at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, USA, has revealed that majority of car crashes and near-crashes happen during daytime hours, rather than at nights. But, sleep related car accidents at night happen to me more critical because mostly they are likely to happen on high-speed highways and rural roads, when the driver is alone.
The study also showed that the 18-20 age groups was involved in five times more fatigue-related accidents and near-accidents than any other group, which was primarily because of lack of enough driving experience and irregular sleep habits. All the other age groups exhibited the same percentage of drowsy-driving crashes and near-crashes
Among the groups studied, all the age groups had the same percentage of drowsy-driving crashes and near-crashes, except for one. "The 18-20 age group was involved in five times more fatigue-related accidents and near-accidents than any other group," she said, due to inexperience behind the wheel and irregular sleep habits.
