Although most people don't want to admit it, driving while drowsy is a common occurrence in today's society. So much so, that one in every five fatal crashes is attributed to a fatigued driver, according to new research.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety published new research that revealed 21 percent of fatal crashes involve tired drivers. The data came from an analysis of 14,268 crashes from 2009-2013 where at least one vehicle was towed from the scene.
"This new research further confirms that drowsy driving is a serious traffic safety problem," Peter Kissinger, head of the AAA foundation, told the Washington Post. "Unfortunately, drivers often underestimate this risk and overestimate their ability to combat drowsiness behind the wheel."
The research also found over 6,000 car crashes that resulted in at least one death involved a fatigued driver.
It's also notable that AAA's research discovered that while almost all drivers know it's wrong, they drive while tired anyway.
"Despite the fact that 95 percent of Americans deem it 'unacceptable' to drive when they are so tired that they have a hard time keeping their eyes open, more than 28 percent admit to doing so in the last month," Kissinger told the Washington Post.
The Centers for Disease and Prevention says to prevent drowsy driving, you should get between seven to eight hours of sleep at night. If you feel tired while you're already driving pull over to change drivers or rest.
