CLEARFIELD — In advance of Daylight Savings Time, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is reminding motorists of the risks associated with drowsy driving.
Daylight Savings Time, which begins at 2 Sunday, requires residents to move clocks ahead by one hour. PennDOT recommends drivers plan ahead for the change by ensuring they get ample sleep before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“The dangers of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol are well known, but many people don’t realize that drowsy driving can lead to the same level of impairment,” said Geoffrey Crankshaw, a Traffic Safety Specialist with the Erie County Department of Health.
Being awake for 18 hours impairs your driving as much as a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent, while being awake for 24 consecutive hours is the equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent.
Fatigue can negatively affect a driver’s reaction time, judgment, attention, and vision, while also making it more difficult to understand and remember things.
According to PennDOT data, there were 1,881 crashes in Pennsylvania in 2020 involving a drowsy or asleep driver, resulting in 11 fatalities.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says drowsy-driving crashes most commonly occur between midnight and 6 a.m., or late in the afternoon. During both times of the day, people experience dips in the human body’s internal clock that regulates sleep.
