How much sleep do drivers need to remain alert?

If you feel there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you need to do, you may try to cut the amount of time you sleep. Still, if you plan to drive, you should understand the dangers of drowsy driving.

According to the National Safety Council, fatigued driving is responsible for roughly 100,000 motor vehicle accidents every year. In these crashes, an estimated 6,400 individuals die and another 50,000 suffer injuries.

Getting sufficient sleep

If you are an adult, you probably need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Teens drivers, though, may need as many as 10 or 11 hours of sleep to recharge. Everyone is a bit different, of course, so you may want to talk to your physician about how much sleep you should strive to get.

Preparing for restful sleep

When it comes to sleep, quality is as important as quantity. If you regularly have difficulty falling or staying asleep, you may want to disconnect from your electronic devices an hour before bedtime. After all, the blue light these devices often emit can interfere with your body’s ability to sleep.

Recognizing the risk

Even if you sleep enough hours each night, your active schedule may make you too exhausted to drive safely. Accordingly, it is advisable to commit to never driving when you are sleepy. Having a resting strategy on long trips also may help you avoid a potentially catastrophic car accident.

While you can practice safe driving techniques yourself, you have no control over how other drivers behave. Ultimately, if you suffer a serious injury in a collision with a drowsy driver, you may be eligible for significant financial compensation.