A new study by the American Automobile Association showed drowsy driving carries risks that can in some cases be comparable to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The study compared drivers who had gotten seven or more hours of sleep in the previous 24 hours with those who got anywhere from less than four to six hours, according to CBS News.
The less sleep drivers got, the more likely they were to get into a crash, study results showed. Drivers who had five to six hours of sleep were about twice as likely to get into a crash as their well-rested counterparts.
With only four to five hours of sleep, though, drivers were more than four times more likely to crash — about as great a risk as driving at the legal level of intoxication, AAA researcher Dr. David Yang said, Fox 13 reported.
Less than four hours of sleep put drivers at an 11.5 times greater risk for a crash, the study showed.
According to NBC 4, one in five fatal auto accidents in the U.S. results from drowsy driving, which can be anything from feeling your eyes closing to drifting across lanes and not remembering the last few miles driven. But only half of drivers who have accidents related to sleep deprivations have any of these symptoms, NBC said.
AAA recommends drivers travel during times they would normally be awake, take a break every hundred miles, and take turns driving with another alert passenger, especially if you start to feel tired. Drivers also should avoid heavy foods and medications that cause impairment, they added.
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