NORWALK, OH - In the current days of distracting technologies, many people seem to forget that there is also a different type of dangerous driver out there on the roads today. Let us introduce you to the
Drowsy Driver– the forgotten killer! A tired or drowsy driver is a very dangerous person to share the road with. In fact, driving drowsy can cause slow reaction time, decrease awareness, impair judgement and increase aggressiveness. How familiar does that sound? Experts actually speak about those same warning signs in regards to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Just like driving under the influence of a dangerous substance, driving while tired or drowsy causes mistakes that can kill or seriously injure you or anyone else you share the road with.
According to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, drowsiness or fatigue is the principal cause of up to 100,000 police-reported passenger vehicle crashes every year, killing at least 1,500 individuals and injuring 71,000. However, many fatigue related incidents go unreported. Now, many people read those statistics and say that most of those incidents must be from semi-truck drivers, however, less than 1 percent of all sleep-related incidents and crashes involve truck drivers because they are prohibited by federal regulation from driving more than 10 hours in a period.
The major factors of drowsy driving are time, age and work schedules. A 2006 NHTSA study showed that 20 percent of crashes and 12 percent of near crashes were caused by drowsy drivers. Surprisingly however, the study also showed that the majority of crashes and near crashes occurred during daytime hours, rather than at night when roads are less crowded. Young adults and teens are also more likely to get behind the wheel when tired, which a recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study found that 1-in-7 licensed drivers ages 16-24 admitted to having dozed off at least once while driving in the past year.
Many car companies are starting to integrate more fatigue-driving-fighting technology into their vehicles, including Ford Motor Company, which created the innovative
Lane Keeping System. This system is offered on most
2014+ year models.
It is important to know that the Drowsy Driver is the forgotten killer and, in terms of potential accidents, is just as dangerous as operating a vehicle while under the influence. Drowsy driving affects everyone at every age and should be talked about more and more in drivers education classes moving forward.
If you would like to get more information on current Ford Motor Company technology systems that are set in place to help drowsy drivers, feel free to stop by your local
Wakeman Area Ford Dealership today!
Don Tester Ford Lincoln is located at 2800 Route 250 South Norwalk, Ohio 44857. As a family owned and operated business since 1972, we continue to strive to provide customers with top quality service!
