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Does drowsy driving create risks on the road?

Georgia drivers like you do what you can to make traveling on state roads easy and safe. There is already mass awareness of dangers like driving under the influence. Texting while driving also has massive campaigns designed to bring awareness to it.

But what about drowsy driving? This activity does not get as much of a bad reputation as other forms of distracted driving. Even so, it can serve just as much of a danger.

How deadly is drowsy driving?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examines the negative impact of drowsy driving. First, statistics showed that 83,000 crashes happened due to drowsy driving between 2005 and 2009. In 2014, there were 846 fatalities due to drowsy drivers. However, experts believe this is a very conservative estimate. Some think that drowsy driving contributes to as many as 6,000 fatalities a year.

How commonplace is drowsy driving?

A startling amount of people claim to have driven drowsy before, too. In fact, 1 in every 25 adults surveyed admitted to falling asleep while driving in the last 30 days. This does not even count the drivers who did not fall asleep, but still drove while in a state of exhaustion.

Drivers do not need to fall asleep at the wheel to serve as a risk, either. Drowsiness affects the body similarly to intoxication. Even if you are awake, you will suffer from reduced reflexes and slowed cognitive capabilities. This makes drowsy drivers have a hard time reacting to the dangers around them. In many cases, the danger stems from the drowsy driver themselves. This is one of many reasons as to why experts are shining the spotlight on drowsy driving risks.

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