Georgia students are often overworked and do not get as much sleep as they need. Unfortunately, this can create a recipe for disaster when these same students must drive to or around their college campus. How dangerous can this drowsy driving be?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that drowsy driving is one of the most dangerous types of driving behaviors. It falls under the umbrella of distracted driving. All actions in this category involve taking a driver’s mind from the road, their eyes from their surroundings, and their hands from the wheel. Not all three occur at the same time with every form of distracted driving. But with drowsy driving, this is a possibility.
If a driver falls asleep at the wheel, they are completely incapable of reacting or acting. If there is a risky situation approaching, they cannot avoid it. If they cross the meridian into oncoming traffic, they might not wake up in time to avoid hitting someone. They can rear-end other cars because they do not notice their approach. Even if a driver does not fall asleep, they suffer from slowed reaction times and reflexes. This makes it hard to get out of sticky situations in a safe and efficient way.
It is also an issue among college students because drowsy driving is relatively acceptable. Most students resign themselves to driving while tired at least once as they do not want to miss class. This cavalier attitude can lead to students believing this behavior is not risky, when it is in fact very dangerous.
