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Drowsy driving legislation unveiled |
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New report shows link between drowsiness and auto accidents |
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January 19, 2005 - The car next to you on the way home tonight could be driven by a very dangerous driver. Or maybe it’s the car you are driving that contains the dangerous driver. A report published by the National Sleep Foundation showed that over half (51%) of adult drivers on the road report that they drive while feeling sleepy. Which means that statistically, one of you is Driving While Drowsy (DWD) and is a danger to others and yourself. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. In a study being released last week, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) concludes that medical residents—who routinely work very long shifts—are more likely to be involved in auto accidents or near misses due to fatigue. None of the conclusions of these recent studies will surprise anyone—it stands to reason that fatigue and lack of sleep will cause impaired driving—but public safety officials are starting to “wake up” to the hazard of drowsy driving and one state senator has sponsored legislation to address it. Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge), the senate chair of the health care committee, has filed a bill which makes drivers more aware of drowsy driving through driver education and will require police to learn how to recognize the sleep-deprived driver. In addition, the bill makes driving while drowsy a criminal offense similar to driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol. “The number of traffic fatalities caused by drowsy drivers is staggering” said Senator Moore, “this is a public safety issue that we can address by acknowledging the problem, educating people about it and giving our law enforcement officers the tools to prevent it.” The Senator’s bill arises from several sources. Senator Moore has filed legislation both this year and last to reduce the number of hours medical residents are allowed to work. “We know that forcing doctors in training to work 24 hour shifts impairs their ability to safely treat patients. But at the conclusion of their shift, we allow them to get behind the wheel of a car and drive home where they endanger countless others on the roads. The New England Journal of Medicine article demonstrates that extended-duration work shifts for medical interns pose a safety hazard for them. But extrapolating from that study, we can see that all of us are in danger when drowsy drivers are on the road.” |
