engage
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behind the wheel
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maskmatters.org
FALL 2017
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DID YOU KNOW?
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Sports participation helps children learn competition in a friendly environment.
ASLEEP
AT THE
WHEEL
By // Angela Ambrose
regular basis greatly increases the risk of accidents
and injuries on and off the road, as well as learning
problems, obesity, diabetes and depression.
Although people of all ages engage in drowsy
driving, teenagers are in the highest risk group,
especially boys. Sixteen- to 24-year-old drivers
have nearly double the risk of being drowsy at the
time of a car crash compared to older drivers 40 to
59 years old, according to a 2012 study conducted
by the American Automobile Association (AAA)
Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Surprisingly, the smartest and hardest-working
teens with the greatest number of extracurricular
activities are most likely to drive drowsy.
“There are some kids who are just so
overscheduled these days, especially when they’re in
school taking exams and they’re doing sports.They
get four or five hours of sleep and they’re falling
W
hen it comes to safe driving, parents
know the dangers of texting, drinking
and driving, and speeding. But they often
overlook one of the most deadly risk
factors: teens driving when they’re sleep-deprived.
Drowsy driving causes at least 1,550 fatalities
and 40,000 non-fatal injuries in the U.S. each
year. In actuality, these types of crashes are grossly
underreported, according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). With
impaired driving, blood and breath tests can determine
if a driver is under the influence. However, there is no
test to quantify drowsiness when a driver is involved
in a crash.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine
recommends that teens ages 13 to 18 years old get 8 to
10 hours of sleep nightly for optimal health. Research
shows that getting less than seven hours of sleep on a
“Parents need to be vigilant
and in-tune with what their
kids are doing and how much
sleep they’re getting.”
– Maria Wojtczak
