Tired Teen Drivers Are Just as Dangerous as Drunk Drivers
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| Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“On a night where I have a heavy workload, [I’ll] probably [get] anywhere from five to sometimes as little as zero hours of sleep. But on a general night I try to get around six hours sleep – seven or eight, if I’m feeling like rewarding myself.”
– Bryan Crowe, 17 Years Old
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When parents think of their teens driving, one of their biggest concerns is alcohol. But according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there is another factor that is just as dangerous, when it comes to teenage driving: Fatigue.
Like many teens, 17-year-old Byron Crowe is busy. To keep going, he averages two energy drinks a day- everyday.
“These are about 430 Quick Trip 52 ounce cups I’ve been collecting since August,” he says, while showing off the stacks of cups he keeps in his room.
While juggling school, sports, homework and an active social life, Byron says that on most days he gets up early – and goes to bed late.
“Getting enough sleep, though, is a difficult task,” he says. “I mean, you just kind of got to gut it out.”
And, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, that can be deadly.
“Legal-limit drunk, in terms of blood alcohol level, is equal to 17 hours of continuous wakefulness,” say Dr. Jeffrey Durmer, director of the pediatric sleep medicine department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
In other words, if you wake up at six a.m. and then get behind the wheel at 11 that night, you will, in effect, be as impaired as someone driving drunk.
Byron says he’s already had too many close calls, driving while sleep-deprived. One that he especially remembers came after pulling an all-nighter. “That next day, driving home from school was so difficult,” he says. “I mean, I’m just sitting at the wheel just like -uhhhh.”
Experts say drowsiness is dangerous for all drivers, but especially for teens.
“Their abilities are less than someone who’s been driving for 20 or 30 years,” explains Dr. Durmer, “so any small change can really throw off a newer or novice driver.”
Many teens think caffeine, loud music and fresh air will help them stay awake at the wheel, but Ted Waldbart of the Safe America Foundation disagrees.
“They might work for a period of time,” he says, “but if you’re in a long drive and you’ve not gotten enough sleep all week, you’re at risk. You’re at high risk.”
After only a few months with a driver’s license, Byron has already learned a very important lesson.
“You just have to remember that you’re still driving a car – that you still need to focus, you know, you’re taking your own life in your hands every time you drive.”
What We Need To Know
- The highest risk time for teens to be on the road is between midnight and six a.m. If you can keep your teens off the road during that time, you have a better chance of keeping them safe. (Ted Waldbart, Safe America Foundation)
- Know the facts and reinforce them — 100,000 accidents happen every year from fatigued drivers — and drivers under 25 years of age cause 55 percent of drowsy driving crashes. (National Sleep Foundation)
- Take the issue of ‘driving while sleep deprived’ seriously. Explain to your children that sleepiness at the wheel is just as bad as drinking and driving. (Jeffrey Durmer, sleep specialist, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta)
Resources
- AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
- National Safety Council
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