Get the Facts
• Teen drivers who sleep less than eight hours nightly are one-third more likely to
crash than those who sleep eight or more hours nightly.
1
• Those who get less sleep than average experience increased daytime sleepiness,
depressive mood, high levels of risk-taking behaviors and lower grades.
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• Lack of sleep reduces a person’s ability to process information, sustain attention,
have accurate motor control and react normally. All are crucial driving skills.
• Daily sleep is reduced by about 40 to 50 minutes from ages 13 to 19.This is
caused by gradually later bedtimes, but more or less stable awakening times.
• The majority of fatigue-related crashes are caused by drivers under age 25.
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• Being awake for 18 hours is similar to having a BAC
level of 0.08, which is legally drunk.
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DRIVING WHILE DROWSY
Drowsy driving is a dangerous risk to teen drivers, with effects similar to driving while legally intoxicated with
a BAC of 08. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), 11- to 17-year-olds need at least eight and a half
hours of sleep nightly. Unfortunately, nearly two-thirds of high school students get fewer than seven hours. Do
not underestimate the importance of sleep, especially in regard to driving. Teenagers who sleep less than
average are more likely to be depressed, tired during the day and not focused on their schoolwork. Sleep loss
also reduces their ability to process information, pay attention and solve problems; all crucial to safe driving.
Source:
1.Hutchens L,et al.Teen Driver Crash Risk and Associations with Smoking and
Drowsy Driving.Accident Analysis and Prevention.May 2008.
2.National Sleep Foundation.Summary of Findings for the 2006 Sleep in
America Poll.Available at:
/
files/2006_summary_of_findings.pdf.Accessed April 7,2010.
3.Pack AI,Pack AM,Rodgman E,Cucchiara A,Dinges DF,Schwab CW.
Characteristics of crashes attributed to the driver having fallen
asleep.Accident Analysis & Prevention.1995;27(6):769-775.
4.National Sleep Foundation.Detection and prevention:Drowsy
driving.Retrieved July 31,2009.Available at:
/.
Accessed April 7,2010.
