Statistics Related to Drowsy Driver Crashes

Each year, at least, 1500 people die in crashes related to sleepy, fatigued or drowsy drivers in the United States of America. This is according to statistics gathered by the federal government. This number is most likely an underestimate. Unless someone witnesses or survives the crash and can testify to the driver’s condition, it is difficult to determine if the driver fell asleep.

Each year, at least, 40,000 people are injured in drowsy driver crashes. For the same reasons as above, this is also probably an underestimate.

At least 100,000 crashes are caused by drowsy drives, each year.

62% of surveyed American adults (72% of men and 54% of women) reported driving while feeling drowsy.

37% of surveyed American adults (49% of men and 26% of women) said they have dozed off while driving at least once.

27% of surveyed American adults (36% of men and 20% of women) said they have dozed off while driving in the past year.

20% of surveyed Canadian adults said they have dozed off while driving in the past year.

40% of surveyed Irish adults said they have experienced driver fatigue in the past year.

12% of surveyed people say sleeplessness affected their driving.

According to the THINK! Road Safety website by the United Kingdom Department for Transportation (7/2004): “Research commissioned by the Government found a fifth of motorway collisions are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel and one in ten crashes on all of Britain’s roads – around 23,300 a year are also linked to fatigue. Sleep-related vehicle accidents (SRVAs) are more likely to result in serious injury than the ‘average’ road accident.”

According the most recent figures available when my wife died in 1999, more people died in crashes caused by drowsy drivers than from each of the following causes:

Hepatitis Type B
Viral Hepatitis
Kidney Infections
Meningitits
Acute Respiratory Infections
Viral Pneumonia
Influenza
Pleurisy
Gastritis and Duodenitis
Appendicitis
Abdominal Cavity Hernia
Peritonitis
Hypotension
Typhoid Disorders
Alcoholic Psychoses
Inflamatory Diseases of the Central nervious System
Infantile Cerebral Palsy
Epilepsy
Phlebitis and Thrombophlebitis
Infections of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissues
Newborns Affected by Maternal Compliations of Pregnancy

“Water Transportation” Accidents
Air and Space Crashes
Railroad Crashes
Electrocutions
Accidently shot by a firearm
Falliong Down Stairs
Falls from a ladder, scaffolding or a building
Excessive Heat
Excessive Cold
Drowning during Sports or Recreation
Drowning in a Bathtub
Inhalation and Ingestion of Food
Suffocation from Bedding, Cradles, Plastic Bags, Locked in a Small Space, Falling Earth
Agricultural, Lifting, Earth Moving and Earth Excavation Machinery
Accidentally Shot by a Hangun, Shotgun or Hunting Rifle

And almost as many as Multiple Sclorosis…

Additionally, more people die each year from crashes related to Drowsy, Sleepy or Fatigued Drivers than from all of the following causes COMBINED:

Plague
Anthrax
Leprosy
Diptheria
Whooping Cough
Tetanus
Smallpox
Chicken Pox
Measles
Rubella
Yellow Fever
Dengue
Mosquito-born Encephilitis
Infectious Mononucleosis
Malaria
Venereal Diseases
Vitamin A, B, C and D Difficiencies
Gout
Glaucoma
Cataracts
Hemorrhoids
Chronic Sinusitis
Pregnancies with Abortive Outcomes
Impetigo
Psoriasis
Spina Bifida
Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip
Bites from Snakes, Lizards and Spiders
Dog Bites
Hornet, Wasp and Bee Stings
Catacylsmic Earth Movements and Eruptions
Fireworks
Here are the specific number of people who died from each of these causes. The diseases are from 1992, the accidents from 1996:

Diseases:

Abdominal Cavity Hernia……………………………..1,319

Acute Respiratory Infections………………………… 860

…..Chronic Sinusitis……………………………… 89

Alcoholic Psychoses………………………………… 384

Anthrax…………………………………………… 0

Appendicitis………………………………………. 413

Asbestosis………………………………………… 285

Birth Trauma………………………………………. 218

Cataracts…………………………………………. 2

Cerebral Palsy: Infantile…………………………… 821

Chicken Pox……………………………………….. 100

Cholera…………………………………………… 597

Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip………………………….. 14

Cystitis………………………………………….. 155

Dengue……………………………………………. 1

Diptheria…………………………………………. 1

Drug Dependence……………………………………. 309

Encephilitis: Mosquito-born…………………………. 3

Epilepsy…………………………………………..1,391

Gastritis and Duodenitis……………………………. 641

Glaucoma………………………………………….. 3

Gout……………………………………………… 87

Hemorrhoids……………………………………….. 13

Hepatitis: Type B…………………………………..1,027

Hepatitis: Viral…………………………………..~1,500

Herpes: Simplex and Zoster………………………….. 284

Hypotension……………………………………….. 868

Inflamatory Diseases of the Central Nervious System…….1,315

Influenza………………………………………….1,006

Kidney Infections………………………………….~1,300

Leprosy…………………………………………… 2

Lipoma……………………………………………. 9

Malaria…………………………………………… 6

Measles…………………………………………… 4

Meningitits……………………………………….~1,000

Mental Retardation…………………………………. 395

Mononucleosis: Infectious…………………………… 19

Newborns Affected by Maternal Compliations of Pregnancy…1,462

Peritonitis………………………………………..1,359

Phlebitis and Thrombophlebitis……………………….1,311

Plague……………………………………………. 1

Pleurisy………………………………………….. 806

Pneumonia: Viral…………………………………… 532

Pregnancies with Abortive Outcomes…………………… 52

…..Spontaneous Abortion…………………………… 9

…..Legal Induced Abortions………………………… 5

…..Illegally Induced Abortioned……………………. 2

Pregnancy: Complications Related to………………….. 107

Rhuematic Fever: Acute……………………………… 100

Rhuematism, Excluding the Back………………………. 501

Rubella…………………………………………… 1

Schzophrenic Psychoses……………………………… 292

Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Infections………………. 749

…..Impetigo……………………………………… 2

…..Psoriasis…………………………………….. 29

Smallpox………………………………………….. 0

Spina Bifida………………………………………. 162

Spine Curvature……………………………………. 304

Tetanus…………………………………………… 9

Tuberculosis: Pulmanary……………………………..1,289

Typhoid Disorders…………………………………..1,062

Venereal Diseases………………………………….. 96

Venomous Animals and Plants…………………………. 81

…..Bites from Snakes, Lizards and Spiders…………… 16

…..Dog Bites…………………………………….. 18

…..Hornet, Wasp and Bee Stings…………………….. 59

Vitamin A Difficiencies…………………………….. 1

Vitamin B Difficiencies…………………………….. 17

Vitamin C Difficiencies…………………………….. 1

Vitamin D Difficiencies…………………………….. 7

Yellow Fever………………………………………. 0

Whooping Cough…………………………………….. 5

And almost as many as Multiple Sclorosis………………1,900

Accidents:
Air and Space Crashes……………………………….1,061

Catacylsmic Earth Movements and Eruptions…………….. 25

Drowning during Sports or Recreation…………………. 822

Drowning in a Bathtub………………………………. 281

Electrocutions…………………………………….. 559

…..Domestic Wiring and Appliances………………….. 88

…..Power Plants………………………………….. 158

…..Industrial Wiring and Machinery…………………. 26

Excessive Heat…………………………………….. 716

Excessive Cold…………………………………….. 533

Falling Objects……………………………………. 656

Falls down Stairs…………………………………..1,241

Falls from a Ladder or Scaffolding…………………… 352

Falls from or out of a Building……………………… 467

Falls into a Hole………………………………….. 94

Falls by Slipping, Tripping or Stumbling……………… 491

Firearm Missles by Accident………………………….1,225

…..by Handgun……………………………………. 233

…..by Shotgun……………………………………. 116

…..by Hunting Rifle………………………………. 64

Fireworks…………………………………………. 2

Hunger, Thirst, Exposure and Neglect…………………. 203

Ignition of clothing……………………………….. 131

Inhalation and Ingestion of Food……………………..1,088

Lightning…………………………………………. 76

Machinery Accident…………………………………. 986

…..Agricultural Machinery…………………………. 514

…..Lifting Machinery……………………………… 141

…..Earth Movers and Excavation Machinery……………. 106

Mechanical Suffocation………………………………1,062

…..Suffocation from Bedding and Cradles…………….. 207

…..Suffocation from Plastic Bags…………………… 37

…..Suffocation from being Locked in a Small Space……. 14

…..Suffocation from Falling Earth………………….. 59

Railroad Crashes…………………………………… 565

“Water Transportation” Accidents…………………….. 675

Latest Headlines

• Sleep Apnea Sufferers Find Solution with the Federal Sleep Institute
• Sleep problems differ among different ethnicities
• Daylight-Saving Time Switch May Leave You Sleepy, U-M Physician Says
• Shift work disorders are on the rise
• SPO Medical Secures Agreement in Sleep Apnea Market
• Americans need more sleep!
• GateWay Community College offers sleep program certification—the first in Arizona
• Most Americans are too sleep-deprived for sex
• ExpressMD(TM) Solutions Announces Interface Between Electronic House Call(TM) System and DeVilbiss Healthcare’s IntelliPAP(R) AutoAdjust(R) Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Device
• Sleepless in Seattle? St. Louis? San Francisco?
• Bridgeport Hospital sponsors Sleep Expo
• RemZzzs CPAP Mask Liners to Be Distributed Across Europe Exclusively by Intus Healthcare Ltd of the UK
• Lack of sleep affects one’s comprehension of emotional cues
• National Sleep Awareness Week(R) (March 7-13): How Are You Sleeping?
• Coliseum Northside Hospital opens sleep disorder unit

In The News

New surgery for sleep apnea treatment

Dr. Andy Chung of Forest Park

Teens need more sleep

Melissa Lamb, a registered nurse at

NFL coach gets his sleep apnea treated

Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak will

Sleep program offers simple sleeping tips

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine

ImThera sleep apnea treatment approved for clinical trials

ImThera Medical has been approved to