How can drowsy driving lead to crashes?

Residents in Pennsylvania may have noticed that there is a potentially dangerous and even deadly trend going on these days among drivers hitting the road. This is the trend of driving while drowsy, which is avoidable but widespread despite that.

Drowsy driving is something many drivers do and even openly admit to doing. However, despite how flippantly it is sometimes treated, it can have just as many ill effects as driving while intoxicated or driving while distracted. This is because drowsy driving has many of the same effects on the driver themselves. This can include slowed reaction times, confusion or otherwise getting mixed up while driving, and more.

The fact that drowsy driving is so widely accepted is also hugely dangerous — unlike driving under the influence and distracted driving, which have both had massive campaigns encouraging people to refrain from participating in these behaviors. Drowsy driving, on the other hand, isn’t discussed nearly as often. People will even joke around about how they felt like they were nodding off at the wheel.

Moreover, in today’s fast-paced society, people even feel like it’s necessary to drive while exhausted. The work culture and the pop culture of the time are all designed to force people into feeling as though they always have to move, even at the risk of their health or at their ability to drive.