Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

天美传媒

Facts + Statistics: Drowsy driving

SPONSORED BY

According to the , drowsy driving is the dangerous combination of driving when sleepy. Drowsiness can make a person less able to pay attention to the road, lead to slow reaction time, and affect the ability to make good decisions.

According to drowsy-driving crashes:

  • occur most frequently between midnight and 6 a.m. or in the late afternoon
  • often involve a single driver with no passengers
  • frequently happen on rural roads or highways.

The chart below shows that in 2022, 2.1 percent of fatal crashes were caused by drivers who were drowsy, asleep, fatigued, ill, or blacked out.听

Driving Behaviors Reported For Drivers And Motorcycle Operators Involved In Fatal Crashes, 2022

听

Behavior Number (1) Percent
Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted limit or racing 11,103 18.5%
Under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication 6,594 11.0
Operating vehicle in a careless manner 5,319 8.9
Failure to yield right of way 4,432 7.4
Failure to keep in proper lane 3,420 5.7
Distracted (phone, talking, eating, object, etc.) 3,124 5.2
Operating vehicle in erratic, reckless or negligent manner 2,251 3.7
Failure to obey traffic signs, signals, or officer 2,541 4.2
Overcorrecting/oversteering 1,708 2.8
Vision obscured (rain, snow, glare, lights, building, trees, etc.) 1,542 2.6
Drowsy, asleep, fatigued, ill, or blacked out听 1,264 2.1
Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface, etc. 1,334 2.2
Driving wrong way on one-way traffic or wrong side of road 1,282 2.1
Making improper turn 485 0.8
Other factors 6,017 10.0
None reported 8,492 14.1
Unknown 20,263 33.7
Total drivers (2) 60,048 100.0%

(1) Number of drivers and motorcycle operators.
(2) The sum of the numbers and percentages is greater than total drivers as more than one factor may be present for the same driver. Beginning in 2022, operators and passengers of motorized bicycles are captured as pedal cyclists when involved in a motor vehicle traffic crash.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

View Archived Tables

Additional resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, .

National Safety Council, .

听

Back to top