Crash risks increase for drivers who get less than seven hours of sleep, according to a new report. Photo courtesy AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
2 min to read
Crash risks increase for drivers who get less than seven hours of sleep, according to a new report. Photo courtesy AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
Drivers who miss one to two hours of the recommended seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period nearly double their risk for a crash, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 35% of U.S. drivers sleep less than the recommended seven hours daily. With drowsy driving being involved in more than one in five fatal crashes on U.S. roadways each year, AAA is warning drivers of the potential consequences of getting less than seven hours of sleep.
Ad Loading...
“You cannot miss sleep and still expect to be able to safely function behind the wheel,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Our new research shows that a driver who has slept for less than five hours has a crash risk comparable to someone driving drunk.”
The foundation’s report, Acute Sleep Deprivation and Risk of Motor Vehicle Crash Involvement, reveals that drivers who miss two to three hours of sleep in a 24-hour period more than quadruple their risk of a crash compared to drivers who get the recommended seven hours of sleep. This is the same crash risk that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) associates with driving over the legal limit for alcohol.
The AAA Foundation report found that in a 24-hour period, crash risk for sleep-deprived drivers increased steadily when compared to drivers who slept the recommended seven hours or more:
• Six to seven hours of sleep: 1.3 times the crash risk • Five to six hours of sleep: 1.9 times the crash risk • Four to five hours of sleep: 4.3 times the crash risk • Less than four hours of sleep: 11.5 times the crash risk
The report is based on analysis of a representative sample of 7,234 drivers involved in 4,571 crashes. All data are from NHTSA’s National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey.
Driverless cars may feel the future, but student transportation requires more than navigation. Here’s why it demands human judgment, empathy, and oversight.
Ongoing driver shortages nationwide are forcing tough transportation decisions. See how districts are using supplemental transportation to maintain coverage for high-needs students.
A Rockland County child was struck by their school bus late last week. Here's what we know so far about this and other fatalities and injuries in the area over the years.
As Maine becomes one of the first states to require anti-pinch door sensors on new school buses, manufacturers like Mayser offer a look at how the technology works and why it's a critical fail-safe.
What if your fleet technology actually worked together? Learn eight practical strategies to integrate multiple systems into one platform, unlocking clearer insights, stronger safety standards, and smoother daily operations.
A recent Verra Mobility survey reports that 82% of parents support safety cameras to penalize stop-arm violators and 70% favor automated enforcement in school zones.
After complications in multiple cities when self-driving taxis failed to stop for school buses, the NTSB joins NHTSA in a probe to determine what's behind the tech and related safety concerns.
