What Are the Dangers of Driving With Fatigue?

Driving while intoxicated is a well-known problem. People who are intoxicated are the cause of many traffic-related accidents, some resulting in death. Another lesser-known cause of traffic accidents, but just as harmful and deadly, is driving while fatigued. It happens more than most people are willing to believe. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 100,000 crashes caused by drowsy drivers are reported by the police every year. These accidents result in more than 1,550 deaths each year, 71,000 injuries each year and $12.5 billion in economic losses. Listed below are some of the dangers of driving with fatigue.

Slower Reaction Time

• Just as when a person is intoxicated with alcohol, a person who is overly tired has slower reaction times. Fatigue leaves the body feeling heavy and relaxed, making it harder to make quick adjustments with the wheel or to step on the brake pedal quickly. A delay in reaction time while driving can be very dangerous. If a drowsy person is slow in braking at a stop light, it could result in a potentially deadly accident.

Impaired Vision

• Fatigue has an impact on every part of the human body, including the eyes. When a person gets tired, their eyes become tired. They may experience heavy eyelids, achey eyes or blurred vision as a result of being too tired. Impaired vision, due to fatigue, is very dangerous because, once the eyes close, the person has a very good chance of actually falling asleep while driving.

Decreased Alertness

• When a person is fatigued or overly tired, the level of alertness drops considerably. When a person is less alert, there's more of a chance of obstacles in the street, such as a tree branch or rock, not being seen. It also diminishes the time it takes to swerve in order to avoid hitting a pedestrian or other cars.

Irritability and Moodiness

• Fatigue can often lead to a person feeling grumpy or irritated. These are dangerous moods to be in when driving. If a person is irritated due to a lack of sleep, driving skills can be more aggressive. The person might lose her temper at the slightest error that she or another driver makes.

Lapses in Memory

• One scary drowsy driving danger is a lapse in short-term memory. It's possible to drive for several blocks and then end up at your destination not knowing how you got there. This happens as a result of being overly tired. This might even indicate an instance of "micro-sleep," briefly falling asleep for several seconds at a time.