MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - A drowsy driver is a dangerous driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsiness or fatigue is the main cause of up to 100,000 police-reported passenger vehicle incidents a year, killing at least 1,500 and injuring 71,000. Even more fatigue-related incidents go unreported making drowsy driving just as bad as drunk driving.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not truck drivers causing there accidents. Only 1% of all the reported drowsy driving incidents are cause by semi-truck drivers due to a recent federal law that states truck drivers can only driver for 10 hours at a time in a 24 hour period. Surprisingly, in many aspects drowsy driving is much like drunk driving. When it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol, once someone has a blood alcohol level of .08% he or she is legally drunk. Recent studies have shown that a driver who has gone a day without sleep shows the same factors as a driver registering .10% blood alcohol level which is well above the legal limit.
Drowsy driving is just as bad as drunk driving, and both show very similiar signs when out on the road. Both occurrences show drivers with slower reaction times, decreased awareness, impaired judgement and increased aggressiveness. In a recent study, nine out of ten North American police officers interviewed had pulled over a drowsy driver who they thought was actually a drunk driver.
Drowsy driving is just as bad as drunk driving and parents and guardians should talk about it with their kids JUST as much. If you would like to stop by and go over the several safety features that assist GM drivers, feel free to stop by! We would love to show you the great technological safety systems in our vehicles! At your local St. Louis, Michigan Area Chevy Dealer we are always checking out the new technologies that Chevy is coming up with! Visit us at your St. Louis Area Chevrolet Dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac Dealership located at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.
