Drowsy Drivers As Good As Drunk Drivers: Study

Drowsy drivers face the same risk as drunk drivers, reveals a study conducted by the American Automobile Association.

By Rajkamal

A study conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA) has revealed that a drowsy driver behind the wheel faces the same risk as a drunk driver.

Drowsy Drivers As Good As Drunk Drivers: Study

The AAA said that its study of 4,571 accidents that took place in the US showed that drivers who got less than 7 hours (recommended) of sleep a day face higher accident risks.

Drowsy Drivers As Good As Drunk Drivers: Study

David Yang, the Executive Director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said in a statement that "You cannot miss sleep and still expect to be able to safely function behind the wheel."

Drowsy Drivers As Good As Drunk Drivers: Study

Drivers who have had only two to three hours of sleep in a period of 24 hours face four times the risk of an accident compared to a driver who has had 7 hours of sleep. This is the same amount of risk a drunk driver faces, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Drowsy Drivers As Good As Drunk Drivers: Study

Also, drivers who are short of one or two hours of sleep face two times the risk of meeting with an accident compared to those who've had 7 hours of sleep. The study also revealed other aspects, like 35 percent of drivers in the US sleep for less than 7 hours a day and almost one fifth of fatal accidents involved sleep-deprived drivers.

Drowsy Drivers As Good As Drunk Drivers: Study

The report, as per Reuters, are based on figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covering accidents between July 2005 and December 2007.

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Read more on: #auto news
Article Published On: Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 17:50 [IST]
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