Drunk driving quite rightly gets bad press as alcohol inhibits your ability to drive well. It can affect your decision-making, reaction time and vision, as well as your capacity to steer in a straight line. The end result is that over 10,000 people die each year, and many more are injured.
Yet, many drivers regularly do something that is also incredibly dangerous, and no one says a word. They drive when they are tired.
Fatigue plays a role in many vehicle crashes
If you are unsure why driving while tired is so dangerous, think back to the last time you saw someone nodding off in their chair. Perhaps it was a work colleague in an uninspiring meeting, or maybe your grandad after a big Thanksgiving meal. Picture their grip relaxing on their pen or glass. Picture their heading lolling forward and their eyes closing momentarily before they jerked back awake. Now picture what would have happened if the seat they were in was the driver’s seat of a vehicle.
People end up exhausted for many reasons. These include:
- Difficulties sleeping
- Stress or anxiety
- Staying up late working or studying
- Going out to clubs and dancing all night
- Watching TV or gaming till late
- Their babies keeping them up
- Working nightshifts
- Working overtime
- Working and raising a family
It is hard not to end up tired at times. Yet every time someone takes the wheel of their vehicle, they make a choice. That choice comes with responsibility. If someone is too tired to drive, then they should seek alternative means of transport. If a driver crashes into you for no apparent reason, fatigue might be a factor.
