Study finds driver fatigue underestimated, major cause of auto accidents

April 26, 2013

Media reports of increasing auto accidents due to distracted driving behaviors like texting while driving are everywhere today. Although the problems with mobile use behind the wheel are accurate and alarming, a new study, however, shows that another driving behavior may be just as problematic--driver fatigue.

The study on driver fatigue

With help from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a study was recently conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute on driver fatigue and revealed that fatigued driving is among the leading causes of auto accidents today.

The study looked at 100 vehicles traversing within the Northern Virginia or Washington D.C. area. The vehicles were equipped with sensors that included video and radar units, accelerometers and lane-tracking software. The devices tracked instances of tired drivers not only yawning but closing of the eye lids and nodding off.

The overall conclusion of the study revealed that tired drivers today are in approximately 20 percent of car crashes. To researchers, this was an alarming conclusion given that previous estimates showed that driver fatigue was only a nominal cause of today's auto accidents--about 2-3 percent to be exact.

Specific findings

Additionally, out of the 100 drivers studied, researchers studied a specific sample. They selected a subset of drivers below age 25 and compared those drivers with the total sample. The data revealed that specifically teen drivers ages 18-20 years of age were more likely to be in vehicle accidents with fatigue as a contributing factor.

Researchers reason this is because teenagers tend to be sleep deprived. They are staying up late but still having to wake up early for school. Older adults are just as sleep deprived due to lack of sleep, however, teens are at a higher risk of auto accidents simply because of their inexperience in driving and driving with fatigue.

The results of the study also revealed, surprisingly, that more accidents occurred during the daytime not at nighttime where drivers are more likely to be tired.

Driver fatigue a serious problem

Overall, according to the director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the data showed that drivers that get behind the wheel of a car while fatigued, even moderately, are four times more likely to be in an auto accident.

Fortunately, continued analysis is being conducted on this growing problem. A new study called the Strategic Highway Research Program is analyzing 2,000 vehicles. The larger subset of drivers studied will hopefully help researchers gather more concrete evidence on driver fatigue.

Article provided by Law Offices of Corey Leifer, P.A.
Visit us at www.leiferlaw.com/