According to a survey shared by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of nearly 150,000 adults in 19 states and the District of Columbia, an estimated 1 in 25 adult drivers aged 18+ report having fallen asleep while driving in the previous 30 days.

Prioritizing healthy sleep habits could help you reduce the risk of driving drowsy.

Who is at risk to drive drowsy?
Drowsy driving usually happens when a driver has had too little sleep which can include untreated sleep disorders, medications, drinking alcohol or shift work. According to the CDC, groups that are more likely to drive drowsy include:

• Commercial drivers operating vehicles like tow trucks, tractor trailers or buses
• Shift workers who work the night shift or long shifts
• Drivers with untreated sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea
• Those who use medications that make them sleepy*

*See details from the Food and Drug Administration about over-the-counter medications that may affect your driving.

Incidents involving drowsy drivers most often occur in the early morning hours on rural roads and highways. 

Injuries and Deaths from Drowsy Driving
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates 91,000 police-reported crashes involved drowsy drivers in 2017. These crashes led to an estimated 50,000 injuries and 795 deaths.

Incidents involving drowsy drivers occur most often in the early morning hours between midnight and 6 a.m. or in the late afternoon on rural roads and highways. They typically involve an individual driver who runs off the road at a high rate of speed. There is rarely evidence of braking.

How to Prevent Drowsy Driving
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults 18+ need 7-9 hours of sleep a day, while teens need at least 8 hours. Prioritizing healthy sleep habits and adhering to a sleep schedule will help you reduce the risk of driving drowsy.

If you are driving on a long trip, the National Sleep Foundation says it's safest to drive with a partner and switch every two hours. Allow the other driver to take a nap if possible.

Driving with a buddy on trips and switching out every two hours can help prevent drowsy driving.

Be aware of your body and any symptoms that arise of a sleep disorder. The CDC says snoring or feeling sleepy during the day could indicate you have a sleep disorder. Talk to your doctor if you’re frequently or chronically experiencing these symptoms.

Do not drink and drive. According to the Harvard Medical School, drinking wine, beer or hard liquor during the day can make you feel drowsy or lethargic. If you didn't sleep well the night before, even one drink during one of your usual low-energy times like midafternoon or late evening can make you drowsy.

Regular exercise can promote healthy sleeping habits as well. “We have solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality,” says Charlene Gamaldo, M.D., medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital. According to Gamaldo, moderate aerobic exercise increases the amount of deep sleep you get, when the brain and body have a chance to rejuvenate.

Employers can support healthy routines for their staff in an aim to reduce drowsy driving. Read more about managing fatigue in the workplace.

Commit to Safety
Be aware of how you’re feeling and make a commitment to never drive while drowsy.

If you’re a contractor, ask your supervisor if your company has driving policies and programs in place to help reduce driving incidents.

If you’re a Hiring Client, ask your ISN account representative for information on RAVS Plus written program assessments to help evaluate driving policies and employee policy retention.

Interested to learn how ISN could help you manage your contractors and validate written programs like driving policies? Request a demo of our contractor management platform ISNetworld.