Are you sleep-deprived and driving right now? Millions of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep and get behind the wheel every day, which is riskier than they may think. Just in time for National Distracted Driving Month, new research reveals how many people are driving drowsy and the dangers of sleep loss.
According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults by Eric Insurance:
- Nearly half of respondents report struggling to get enough rest.
- Factors keeping them from getting good sleep include stress related to personal or family life (52%), anxiety over current events (42%), excessive social media use (24%) and the demands of parenting (14%).
- More than half (54%) report sleeping less than seven hours a night, while 11% are getting four hours or less, and 43% only average four to six hours.
- That means a lot of people are experiencing increased drowsiness, which can affect our ability to focus, think clearly, respond quickly and perform daily tasks, which can be especially dangerous when you’re driving.
- About 14% of Americans admit they’ve fallen asleep behind the wheel since 2020.
- People are most tired while driving late at night, making the hours of 10p.m. to 3a.m. the most dangerous.
- When drivers start to feel especially drowsy, they try to stay awake by drinking a caffeinated beverage (63%), turning up the music (62%), rolling down the window/cooling the car down (58%) or talking to someone on the phone (28%).
- One of the best things to do when you feel exhausted behind the wheel is take a rest break, which 59% say they sometimes do.
Source: Penn Watch