Study Finds Mornings Deadliest For Drowsy Drivers
Drowsy driving-related roadway fatalities spike in the early morning hours, with 6 am to 7 am, marking the deadliest span, according to a study by SleepJunkie, a website focused on improving sleeping habits.
The hours just before and after — 5 am to 6 am and 7 am to 8 am — were the second and third most fatal times, according to the report, which used National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.
The revelation dispels the myth that the sleepy-driver threat peaks in the nighttime hours, said SleepJunkie Project Manager Carly Johnson.
Busy interstates accounted for the most sleep-related driving deaths compared to other roadways, likely because of their faster speeds and the greater number of vehicles traveling them, Johnson said. Overall, sleep-related fatalities accounted for 5 percent of all deaths on interstates.The study even pinpointed the deadliest roadway in the nation for sleep-related accidents: I-37 in southern Texas, where 18 percent of the highway's fatal crashes are tied to drowsy driving, a surprising statistic.
"It’s a very short interstate, yet it had almost double the sleep-related fatality rate compared to the next one on the list," Johnson said. That next highway was I-76, which runs more than 425 miles from Ohio to New Jersey.
Utility vehicles were involved in the highest percentage of fatal sleepy-driver accidents with pickup trucks and vans next on the list, the study found. Dawn light and foggy skies contributed the most to fatal sleep-related accidents.
Wyoming led the nation in highest percentage of fatal sleep-related accidents at 8.6 percent. Vermont trailed behind in second with 6.8 percent, followed by Colorado with 6 percent.
Three of the top five most dangerous counties for fatal drowsy-driving accidents were in California, with San Bernardino County leading the way. Filling out the list were Bexar County, TX; Riverside County, CA; Los Angeles County, CA; and Maricopa County, AZ.
Drowsiness causes an average 328,000 crashes per year, with 109,000 involving 6,400 fatalities across the USA, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. But the accidents are largely preventable and often forgotten as people associate only drunken driving with driving while impaired, Johnson said.
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