When residents of California hit the road without getting enough sleep, they may feel like they aren’t actually putting themselves or anyone else at that much risk. After all, plenty of people drive while they are tired. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that these actions can have terrible consequences, as drowsy driving is more dangerous than most believe.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention closely examine the true dangers that drowsy driving can possibly cause, and they aren’t pretty. Drowsy driving actually has a similar impact on the driver as distracted driving, or even driving under the influence. For example, a drowsy driver’s reaction time is drastically cut into. They are less likely to notice potential causes of accidents, and less likely to react to them appropriately. Even being able to brake in time to avoid a collision can be difficult for these drivers.
The fact that so many people drive despite their exhaustion is also a problem. This creates the false perception that it is okay and even safe to drive if you are tired, when that simply isn’t the case. It’s impossible to gauge how tired is “too tired” to drive as well, since everyone has a different level of tolerance for how exhausted they need to be before they start losing the ability to think clearly.
In any case, it is best in the end to simply not take the risk at all. Drivers who decide to hit the road even when exhausted put not only themselves in harm’s way, but also everyone around them, too.