Statewide Iowa – With the switch to Daylight Saving Time this weekend, some Iowans may be starting next week out sleepy from that lost hour of shut-eye. Triple-A Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says a new motor club study finds driving while drowsy can be dangerous, and even deadly.
The study finds drowsy drivers were involved in 18-percent of all traffic fatalities between 2017 and 2021, accounting for nearly 30-thousand deaths. Ortner suggests Iowans try to get a nap on Sunday afternoon to help catch up on their sleep before Monday morning, especially if they have a lengthy commute.
Whether you’re driving to work or taking the family on a road trip, Ortner says it’s vital that you stay alert or get off the road.
He says sleep deprivation increases a driver’s risk of making mistakes that can lead to crashes. The Triple-A study finds those deprived of sleep by four or more hours have an impairment similar to those who are over the legal blood-alcohol limit.
