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Lack of Sleep: Putting You at Risk Behind the Wheel?
 | Have you ever felt like you were going to fall asleep behind the wheel of a car? Though it may feel important to get to where you need to be at a certain time, driving while you are tired could impair your safety and the safety of those around you. |
Lack of sleep makes you feel drowsy and can prevent you from staying focused. It also impairs your judgment, decision making, performance, memory, and response time. These effects increase the risk of injury for you and others.
Drowsy or sleepy driving is a major issue. Every year, about 400 Canadians die because of drowsy or sleepy driving (Highway Safety Roundtable, 2007). According to a survey by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 57% of Canadian drivers stated they have driven while sleepy. Also, one in five Canadians admitted that they have nodded off or fallen asleep while driving at least once over the past year (Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2005).
Sleepy driving can be compared to drinking and driving. Research shows that sleep-deprived individuals (i.e., no sleep for 17 to 19 hours) perform at a similar level to individuals with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.05% (Highway Safety Roundtable, 2008).
Having a BAC of 0.05% while driving increases the risk for serious injury and death by about seven times when compared to alcohol-free drivers (Miller, 2009). In Canada, there are penalties for drivers caught with a BAC of greater than 0.08%. Some provinces even have penalties for drivers with a BAC of greater than 0.05%. For example, in Ontario, drivers caught with a BAC of 0.05% to 0.08% will lose their license at roadside for 3, 7, or 30 days.
Another concern is when drivers are sleepy they try things to keep awake that don’t work, such as opening windows, talking with passengers, turning up the radio, drinking coffee, and so on. In fact, in a recent survey, only 14.8% of drivers reported stopping at a safe place (e.g., a rest area, service station) to take a nap or sleep when they were drowsy, which is what drivers should do (Vanlaar, Simpson, Mayhew, and Robertson, 2007).
Here are some tips to help you:
- Get enough sleep. Researchers say that adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.
- Take regular breaks (i.e., every two hours) when driving for long periods.
- Whenever possible drive during daylight, and try not to start to drive before your normal wake up time or after your regular bed time.
- When possible, avoid taking medications that will make you drowsy.
- Know the warning signs of fatigue. Some examples of warning signs are frequent yawning, heavy eyes, daydreaming, feeling irritable and restless, wandering over the centre line or of the road, or missing your exit or turns.
- Don’t wait until you feel tired to stop and nap or sleep. It’s too late. Once you start to feel tired or drowsy it becomesdifficult to predict when you’ll fall asleep at the wheel. Driving while sleepy is a major concern. By getting enough sleep before you get behind the wheel and stopping when you’re too tired to drive safely, you’re helping to keep yourself and others safe.
Key References:
Highway Safety Roundtable. (2007). Fatigue Impairment: Police Issues. Retrieved March 26, 2010, from http://www.fatigueimpairment.ca/documents/2007_08_16_fatigueimpairmentpoliceissues.pdf
