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Driving While Tired

Driving while tired is a very dangerous driving habit that millions of people engage in at one time or another. The dangers of driving while overly tired are very real, with the possibility of falling asleep or nodding off and getting into an accident very high. These dangers are not all that well known to many people in the general public. We are much more knowledgeable about the risks of drunk driving than we are about the risks of drowsy driving, because there is so much more publicity in the media about it.

But driving while tired is a very serious matter if you are concerned about avoiding car accidents. Some will say that there is nothing they can do about it because of their work schedules or other reasons necessitating them getting behind the wheel when they are exhausted. But in all honesty there is no excuse for this behavior, not when people's lives are at stake. Drivers need to know the real truth about the dangers of driving while tired so that they can find whatever way necessary to avoid this behavior to keep safe and keep others safe as well.

Dangers of Drowsy Driving

There are different definitions of drowsy driving. One example might be going ahead and driving a car after being up for a certain number of hours straight. But whatever the denotative definition is, it is clear that driving while tired is quite simply making the choice to operate an automobile when you are in no condition to do so due to exhaustion.

It is very dangerous to make this choice and drive tired. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Association considers drivers who are sleep deprived to be just as much of a hazard on the roads as drunk drivers [1]. In fact, studies have correlated the effects of driving tired with the effects of driving a car while intoxicated. Many of the same symptoms of both behaviors are similar.

Symptoms of Sleep Deprived Driving

Auto operators who are sleep deprived have slower responses to changing road conditions, as do drunk drivers. They also have a hard time keeping their vehicles in the center of their lanes and driving at appropriate and consistent speeds. As levels of sleep deprivation among drivers increase, so does the correlation between its symptoms and the symptoms of people driving while under high levels of intoxication [1].

It is dangerous to drive while excessively tired not only for the effect it can have on you as a driver, but also for the way it can affect those you're sharing the road with. Anyone who has ever been in an accident after falling asleep at the wheel will tell you as much, especially those who injured someone else in the process. And these things affect your policy premium as much as any accidents do.

Avoid Accidents and Save Money

Sleep deprivation and driving while tired unfortunately is a common problem in the U.S., where millions of people try to do too much each day and fit it into too few hours. We can compare this trend to a sickness or impairment that makes driving a car safely difficult or impossible. Yet that is exactly what many drivers do.

Avoid these problems and the high cost of insurance that goes with them. Get quotes on low cost policies that reward drivers for safe driving behaviors and prevent accidents caused by exhaustion and sleep deprivation. Compare prices from local insurers by using the form at the top of this page to get free quotes. Save money on car insurance and stay safe in the car to protect yourself.

[1] http://www.safety.com/articles/driving-while-tired.html Retrieved 2010-10-07.