Americans Are Increasingly Unsafe on the Roads and Drinking and Drowsy Driving is On the Rise


Think driving drunk is the worst thing a driver can do behind the wheel? Think again.

A new study has shown that driving while tired is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a person who drives without an adequate amount of sleep not only puts themselves at risk, but everyone else on the road.

The AAA found out that losing one to two hours is enough to double a driver’s crash risk, and losing three hours of sleep can quadruple it.

The Richmond Register reports AAA’s findings as, “Drivers missing two to three hours of sleep in a 24-hour period more than quadrupled their risk of a crash compared to drivers getting the recommended seven hours of sleep. This is the same crash risk the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration associates with driving over the legal limit for alcohol.”

Drowsy driving is responsible for 20% of all fatal auto accidents on the road.

Not only is this number concerning, but it confirms the overall trend that Americans are not practicing safe driving habits.

2016 may turn out to be the worst year on record for drunk driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports. On average, 28 people a day died from DUI related accidents nationwide. To put this number into perspective, every two minutes a person is injured in a drunk driving crash.va-moto

These numbers are the highest the country has seen in 50 years, and the NHTSA is trying to get to the bottom of this deadly habit. As a way to prevent intoxicated drivers from getting behind the wheel, NHTSA hopes to implement a new technology that will use sensors to measure a driver’s blood alcohol level before they put their keys into the ignition.

Not only will this technology work with cars, but it will be especially beneficial for motorcycle drivers, who are at even higher risk out on the roads.

The system is set to be put in place as soon as 2020.


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