[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/not-getting-enough-sleep-you-might-be-at-greater-risk-for-a-car-accident\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/not-getting-enough-sleep-you-might-be-at-greater-risk-for-a-car-accident\/","headline":"Not Getting Enough Sleep? You Might Be at Greater Risk for a Car Accident","name":"Not Getting Enough Sleep? You Might Be at Greater Risk for a Car Accident","description":"Drowsy driving\u00a0is a serious problem that can result in severe and fatal car accidents. Yet, many drivers in New Jersey fail to realize the gravity of the issue. According to a recent study by the\u00a0AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, sleep-deprived drivers and accidents often go hand-in-hand. In fact, drivers \u201cwho...","datePublished":"2017-03-01","dateModified":"2026-05-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/author\/dsslaw\/#Person","name":"Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/author\/dsslaw\/","identifier":12,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/645d493126a7be6f90be911a6e7d4382c0cd63874673097832081394c8bcf8ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/645d493126a7be6f90be911a6e7d4382c0cd63874673097832081394c8bcf8ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bg-logo.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bg-logo.jpg","width":192,"height":90}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/driver-sleeping-behind-the-wheel.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/driver-sleeping-behind-the-wheel.jpg","height":402,"width":800},"url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/not-getting-enough-sleep-you-might-be-at-greater-risk-for-a-car-accident\/","about":["Car Accidents"],"wordCount":933,"articleBody":"Drowsy driving\u00a0is a serious problem that can result in severe and fatal car accidents. Yet, many drivers in New Jersey fail to realize the gravity of the issue.According to a recent study by the\u00a0AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, sleep-deprived drivers and accidents often go hand-in-hand.In fact, drivers \u201cwho miss between one to two hours of the recommended seven hours of a sleep in a 24-hour period nearly double their risk for a crash,\u201d the study found.Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 35 percent of all drivers in the U.S. fail to get at least seven hours of sleep per night.Study Finds Fatigue to be Leading Role in Car CrashesThe authors of the AAA study noted that more than 20 percent of motor vehicle collisions in the U.S. currently involve drowsy driving.The fewer hours of sleep you get each night, the more likely you are to be involved in a crash, according to the study. The researchers found that:The crash risk increases\u00a03 times\u00a0when drivers get\u00a0six to seven\u00a0hoursof sleep per night.The risk increases\u00a09 times\u00a0when drivers get\u00a0five to six hours\u00a0of sleep per night.The risk drastically increases to3 times\u00a0when drivers get only\u00a0four to five hours\u00a0of sleep each night.Drivers who get\u00a0fewer than four hours\u00a0of sleep are at a markedly higher risk of a drowsy driving accident, as the crash risk increases to\u00a05 times\u00a0that of a driver who sleeps for more than seven hours per night.\u201cYou cannot miss sleep and still be able to safely function behind the wheel,\u201d said Dr. David Yang, the executive director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.Yang added that the recent AAA study \u201cshows that a driver who has slept for less than five hours has a crash risk comparable to someone driving drunk.\u201dMost Drivers Find Drowsy Driving to Be Unacceptable Yet Do It AnywayA report on the AAA study noted that 97 percent of drivers believe that drowsy driving is \u201ccompletely unacceptable behavior that is a serious threat to their safety.\u201d Yet, a high percentage of those drivers who responded to the survey admitted to driving without getting enough sleep.About 33 percent of the drivers who indicated that they find fatigued driving to be intolerable confessed that, at least once in the prior month alone, \u201cthey drove when they were so tired they had a hard time keeping their eyes open.\u201dJake Nelson, AAA\u2019s director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research, said that it is important for drivers to focus on a healthy sleep schedule and to prioritize getting seven hours of sleep per night in order to keep their selves, their passengers and others on the road safe from accidents.Drowsy Driving Facts and Figures You Should KnowWho faces the greatest risk of getting into drowsy driving accident? How many people actually drive without enough sleep on a regular basis?According to the\u00a0National Sleep Foundation, the following facts and figures help to clarify the answers to those questions:Drivers between the ages of 18-29 are more likely to engage in drowsy driving (71 percent) than drivers in other age groups.Male drivers are more likely to drive drowsy (56 percent) than are female drivers (45 percent).Male drivers are twice as likely as female drivers to fall asleep at the wheel.Workers on the night shift are more likely to be involved in a drowsy driving crash than are those who work daytime shifts.Drivers are more likely to fall asleep at the wheel when they are on \u201chigh-speed, long, boring, rural highways\u201d than on other routes.Urban drivers are more likely to engage in fatigued driving than rural or suburban residents.A majority of drowsy driving accident \u201cnear misses\u201d happen between the hours of 4-6 a.m., 12-2 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.Need for Public Awareness About Fatigued Driving Risks and PreventionAfter the AAA study emerged, an article in\u00a0NPR focused on the need for greater public awareness about the risks fatigued, driving.The more we know about the dangers of drowsy driving, the more we can do to prevent accidents caused by fatigue.Given that so many drivers admit to feeling sleepy behind the wheel, what steps can those drivers take to avoid a car accident?After all, we might get on the road for a long drive and feel fully alert at the start, only to sense ourselves drifting off after several hours behind the wheel.The\u00a0National Sleep Foundation\u00a0suggests that drivers should take the following steps to avoid a crash:Get at least seven hours of sleep per night (and preferably between 7-9 hours).Schedule regular breaks when you are driving.Do not use alcohol or other medications that could sedate you while you are driving.If you feel yourself getting tired behind the wheel, stop driving and find a place to get a caffeinated beverage and\/or to take a nap.Contact a Drowsy Driving Accident Lawyer in Teaneck, New JerseyAt Davis, Saperstein, & Salomon, P.C., we are committed to helping New Jersey residents who have sustained serious injuries in auto accidents caused by drowsy drivers.Driving without getting enough sleep may mean that the drowsy driver is liable for injuries. When another driver\u2019s negligence results in a motor vehicle collision, it is important to hold that driver responsible.An experienced Teaneck car accident lawyer at our firm can discuss your options with you for filing a claim. Contact\u00a0Davis, Saperstein, & Salomon, P.C., today."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Not Getting Enough Sleep? You Might Be at Greater Risk for a Car Accident","item":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/not-getting-enough-sleep-you-might-be-at-greater-risk-for-a-car-accident\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]