Drowsy Driving & Young Drivers

One in five fatal crashes involves a drowsy driver, and drivers aged 16 to 24 are at the greatest risk of being involved in a drowsy driving crash. research has shown that young adults aged 19 to 24 are more likely to report falling asleep while driving than any other age group.

Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, yet a study found that more than two-thirds of high school students get 7  hours of sleep or less on a school night.

High school students who reported sleeping 7 or fewer hours per night were more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors such as texting while driving, drinking and driver, and not wearing a seat belt.

What can young drivers do?

Make sleep a priority. While older adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, teens need more—81 to 10 hours—for optimal health and safety.

Avoid driving during nighttime and early morning hours, while sleep typically occurs. Almost every state has a graduated driver’s license laws that limit when teens can drive after dark. Such laws have been shown to reduce the rates of serious crashes among young drivers. Pennsylvania Graduated Drivers License Law

What can parents do?

Help teens create a good environment for sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends keeping electronic devices such as TVs, video games, computers, and cell phones out of teens’ bedrooms. Research shows that doing so leads to longer sleep times.

Teach new drivers that drowsy driving can be as risky as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or distracted.

Plan to ensure that teens have a safe ride to and from late-night or early-morning events such as work.