Drowsy Driving Research Paper

In my PSA, I will attempt to make drivers aware of the dangers of drowsy driving. My PSA will also serve as a call to action which urges its viewers to avoid driving while fatigued. My PSA will be targeting adult drivers who most likely have never been presented with any information about the dangers of drowsy driving. If my audience were composed of children, I would be reluctant to show potentially disturbing footage from the aftermath car crashes. However, the fact that my audience is mature means that I am free to make my PSA a little dark and emotional. My PSA will include both statistics about the dangers of drowsy driving, and footage from the aftermath of a serious crash. I believe the often-overlooked nature of my topic means that

Most frequent times for the drowsy driving to take effect is either early in the morning or late at night when that drowsiness is overtaking; The body’s natural sleeping period is around these times as well. “Sleepiness also can peak in the middle of the afternoon. Older adults are more likely to have a drowsy-driving accident in the mid-afternoon” (Drowsy Driving, page 1). There are several cases as to where the drivers that are drowsy don’t often avoid accidents and also veer off the side of the road. These kinds of crashes though are more frequent in younger people with children. Though it is more frequent to do this with children, it is also two times more likely for a man to partake in this action instead of a woman. The age group that this typically happens around can vary between 18 and 29. Not only is it irresponsible to drive drowsy, it can be pricey too. Millions of dollars have been awarded to families due to them being a victim of a crash in drowsy driving. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimated that 100,000 police reported crashes that are the direct result of driver fatigue each year” (Page 2). There is almost no police training so they can noticeably spot out signs of drowsy driving. More than ⅓ of people have fallen asleep at the wheel and much more than that have gotten into the car drowsy. “Drowsy driving has resulted in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and 12.5 billion in monetary losses” (page 5).

If they're excessively tired while driving they're more likely to fall asleep at the wheel and have much slower reflexes, which increases the chances of a car accident (“Driving”). Insomnia is less dangerous, compared to certain sleep disorders, and may just cause fatigue, and problems with concentration and memory (“What Is?”). Sleep apnea is potentially an extremely dangerous sleep disorder if left untreated (“Diseases”). Untreated sleep apnea could cause hypertension, a stroke, or even heart failure (“Diagnosing”). Narcolepsy can be dangerous in certain cases, like when it causes a person to unexpectedly fall asleep. Restless leg syndrome is much less dangerous, and may just restrict the patient from driving or sitting for long periods of time

Driving is a complex exercise involving specific motor, cognitive, perceptual and decision making skills (George, 2004). To drive in a competent manner involves continued concentration and attentiveness which can be challenging for drivers suffering from sleep deprivation (George, 2004). This essay will argue that sleep deprivation impairs effective driving by reducing alertness and increasing response time. Williamson and Feyer (2000) conducted a series of tests to discover the effects sleep-deprivation and inebriation. They concluded that fatigue resulting from sleep deprivation is an important factor likely to compromise performance of speed and accuracy tasks, both of which are crucial for driving. While this study by Williamson et al.

Driving a vehicle with an excessive amount of alcohol in the blood is dangerous for the driver, passengers, and other innocent civilians around. Driving under the influence (DUI) commonly known as “drunk driving” refers to a person who is operating a motor vehicle while one’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is above the legal limit of .08 percent. Drunk Driving is a major issue in America, especially for young adults, which is why the government enforces many laws to prevent car accidents. One of the most commonly cause of drunk driving is due to peer pressure. Teenagers want to act tough and pretend not to be drunk just to impress their peers or because they do not want anyone to drive their cars. It is more difficult for young adults to

Impaired driving is often associated with drunk driving. However, drowsiness is also an impaired state because it compromises alertness, reaction time, and judgment. Unlike being under the influence of alcohol, drowsiness is a natural state and therefore affects more drivers. It is just as dangerous as drunk driving, and perhaps more so, because the driver is about to fall asleep at the wheel. Staying alert is a matter of life and death. Here are six tips for staying alert while driving at night:

Drinking and driving has become one of the worst habits that people have picked up on throughout time. Many argue that while being under the influence of alcohol it doesn't have any effect on their driving skills. In fact, while being intoxicated many individuals tend to believe that they are invincible and get behind the wheel not realizing that fatal consequences could be a result of their wrecklessness. This world wide problem that we face is one of the major causes for some of the most severe car accidents that occur internationally.

Sleepiness and drowsy driving contributes to a clear majority of motor vehicular accidents. Reports on accounts of different aspect of sleep related vehicle accident have been previously studied. A considerable amount of accidents is due to falling asleep while operating a vehicle. Why these accidents happen and the minor provisions that could be applied to prevent someone from serious injury or death could save lives. Information was also provided on studies of car accidents in relation to sleep, causes of sleepiness while driving, and ways to prevent accident from a sleepy driver. A statewide survey revealed that 7% of motor vehicle accidents resulted in fatal consequences. (Prevention, 2009-2010) If someone is sleepy or drowsy driving, then

Cars are large bodies made of metal that are regularly traveling anywhere between thirty-five and seventy miles per hour. These machines gather speed and force that is more than enough to seriously injure and likely kill anyone who happens to be in the way. People somehow ignore these glaring details and often drive carelessly or recklessly despite the potential consequences, two examples of this are tailgating and eating while driving.

Traffic related accidents happen frequently and the main cause for this is the drowsy driver. Drowsiness of driver means sleeping at the wheel, that means, sleeping for small amount of time while the driver is driving an automobile. The main reason behind this drowsiness related accidents or a crash is long and hectic hours of continuous driving. When the driver is drowsy, it affects his/her alertness mentally, which decreases his/her ability to operate on vehicle properly and increases the risk of accident or mishap to occur. The drowsiness related accidents have caused a lot of damage to nature as well as human life which could lead to death of the person or a person can become physically or mentally handicapped and many other losses like

If a belief is contextual is it a belief worth holding? For example, let’s say you believe that people who commit terrible crimes, say a drunk driver who kills an innocent motorist in an accident, should be immediately condemned to death. What if that “drunk driver” is your son or daughter, your husband or wife? Suddenly, we start to see the complexity of the situation. “They are a good person who made a terrible mistake.” And if you pointed out this inconsistency, I would assume that many people would say, “Well of course that’s how I’m going to feel. It’s my son. What do you expect?” But that’s sort of the point: the only thing that changed in this circumstance is the distance between you and the person committing the crime. When we’re far

While distractions may not discriminate, they can increase the chance of a motor vehicle crash. When distracted driving is combined with the increased mass of a commercial vehicle, it can produce more significant injuries and deaths. Distracted driving in a commercial vehicle is a real risk all drivers encounter on our roadways today. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted an in-cab driving study of commercial truck drivers. The study indicated that, by far, the most dangerous distraction

Truck Driver Fatigue: Most truckers drive for a living and often work long hours, including night shifts. This often results in sleep deprivation and driver fatigue. This can be a real hazard for the driver as well as those on the road, especially when the vehicle in question is a truck. A significant number of trucking accidents are because of exhausted and tired truck drivers.

In the world of driving, many elements can affect the safety of a driver behind the wheel. Take makeup, for instance. A person that is driving while applying some form of cosmetics is not focusing on the road, or, much less, the environment around the vehicle like pedestrians or cautionary signs. In study done by the NHTSA in 2015, distracted drivers killed 3,477 people, which just goes to show that careless and distracted driving is incredibly dangerous, and yet, there is a larger threat to drivers: drivers under the influence. Every year, around 10,220 people die in alcohol and drug related crashes- that’s an person killed every 51 minutes of every day (cdc). Those numbers are incredibly high and should be a clear pointer that drugs and alcohol are mind and body altering to the point where they are highly dangerous to use when driving. Whether it be drugs or alcohol, driving under the influence affects everything from driver’s mind and physical abilities to other drivers that come in contact with drivers under the influence.

Approximately 4,000 people die in commercial truck accidents each year. Truck driver fatigue is the leading factor in fatal truck accidents. When you consider that over 70 percent of the injuries and fatalities in commercial truck accidents are occupants of other vehicles, it makes sense that the federal government would place restrictions on commercial trucks to try to avoid fatigued driving.