Drowsy driving is often dismissed as a harmless side effect of the hustle lifestyle. In reality, it is now being increasingly acknowledged as a serious road safety concern. Fatigue impairs the brain’s ability to function at full capacity.
As a result, drowsy drivers have a reduced reaction time and a compromised decision-making ability. Moreover, drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as driving while alcohol impaired. But why exactly are these two behaviors compared so often, and what makes sleep-deprived driving so hazardous?
Similarities in impairment
At its core, the comparison between drowsy driving and alcohol-impaired driving stems from the similar cognitive impairments they cause. Both sleep deprivation and alcohol affect the part of the brain that’s responsible for:
- Complex decision-making
- Maintaining attention
- Making sound judgment
Drivers experiencing either fatigue or intoxication are more likely to make poor decisions, fail to react in time to changing road conditions and misjudge distances and speeds. Most drowsy drivers experience brief, involuntary episodes of sleep that last a few seconds. These microsleeps can render the driver momentarily unconscious at the wheel. Even a few seconds of lost consciousness can result in devastating consequences at highway speeds.
Underreported and underestimated
While alcohol-impaired driving is more easily tested and recorded via breathalyzers or blood tests, drowsy driving lacks a standardized method of detection. Many drowsy-driving-related crashes go undocumented. Furthermore, fatigue is rarely listed as a contributing factor on accident reports unless the driver admits to it or falls asleep at the scene. This makes it harder to grasp the full scope of the problem.
Drowsy driving is not a lesser evil compared to drunk driving; it is equally dangerous, and in some cases, even more deceptive because of how normalized fatigue has become in modern society. Accident survivors who encounter drowsy or drunk drivers can benefit from legal support to hold at-fault parties accountable.