Assessing Risk Factors
Ask yourself these questions:
- Have you been awake for 18 hours or more?
- Have you had six hours sleep or less in the last 24 hours?
- Do you often drive between midnight and 6 a.m.?
- Do you frequently feel drowsy while you’re driving?
- Do you work the night shift?
- Do you work more than one job?
- Do you have any sleep disorders?
If you have any of these indicators you are at a much higher risk of a drowsy-driving crash, even if you don’t feel sleepy. Half the drivers who had drowsy-driving crashes said they felt “only slightly sleepy” or “not at all sleepy” right before the crash.
(Source: American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety)
At risk groups:
- Commercial vehicle drivers
- New/young drivers, especially young men
- Shift and split-shift workers
- People suffering from sleep disorders
- Drivers whose lifestyle affects the quality and quantity of their sleep
(Source: Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators)