Are you a fatigued driver? Learn to recognize the signs
| • | Driver fatigue higher in Hawai'i than rest of U.S. |
National Sleep Foundation
The University of Hawai'i study on fatigue-related crashes found that:
• 6,500 of the approximately 203,000 Hawai'i crashes from 1986 to 1995 were fatigue-related.
• 76.2 percent of the drivers involved in those crashes were male.
• 62 percent of the drivers were between the ages of 15 and 29.
• 58 percent of the crashes occurred between midnight and 6 a.m.
• 89.2 percent of Hawai'i fatigue-related accidents occurred when the driver was moving in a straight direction, compared with making turns, changing lanes or slowing down or braking.
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Who are most at risk when it comes to fatigue-related accidents?
Drivers who Are:
• Sleep-deprived or fatigued.
• Driving long distances without rest breaks.
• Driving through the night, the early afternoon or at other times when they are normally asleep.
• Taking medication that increases sleepiness or drinking alcohol.
• Driving alone.
• Driving on long, rural, boring roads.
• Frequent travelers, e.g., business travelers.
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Young Drivers
• Sleep-related crashes are most common in young people, who tend to stay up late, sleep too little, and drive at night.
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Shift Workers
• 25 million Americans are rotating shift workers. Studies suggest that 20 to 30% of those with nontraditional work schedules have had a fatigue-related driving mishap within the last year.
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Tips for the Drowsy Driver
• Some of the warning signs of driver fatigue: drivers who can't remember the last few miles driven; drifting from their lanes or hitting a rumble strip; yawning repeatedly; having difficulty focusing or keeping their eyes open; tailgating or missing traffic signs; having trouble keeping their head up; constantly jerking the vehicle back into their lane.
Drivers who recognize they are in danger of falling asleep and cannot predict when a microsleep may occur:
• Do not count on the radio, open window or other "tricks" to help stay awake.
• Respond to symptoms of fatigue by finding a safe place to stop for a break. Pull off into a safe area away from traffic and take a brief nap (15 to 45 minutes) if tired.
• Drink coffee or another source of caffeine to promote short-term alertness if needed. (It takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream.)
