Sleep-Impaired

It's 11:30 pm, you have just finished a long project and are ready to drive home. You have been awake since 6:00 that morning and the day is starting to wear you down. You crank up the radio and sit up a little straighter to combat the heaviness of your eyes. Are you sober enough to drive home?

Studies show that being awake for more than 18 hours results in an impairment equal to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05, 20 hours = 0.08, and 24 hours = 0.10 - more than legally drunk.

Half of American adults consistently report they have driven drowsy and around 20% actually admit they have fallen asleep at the wheel in the previous year. In a recent national poll, 15% of drivers in 10th-12th grades stated they drove drowsy at least once a week.

Sleepiness can cause as much harm as alcohol when deciding to get behind the wheel.

Sources: National Sleep Foundation
Drowsy Driving Fact Sheets: (pdf), (pdf), (pdf)

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