 Transportation
Drowsy Driving
Updated January 2008
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are an estimated 100,000 police-reported crashes a year that are the direct result of driver fatigue. These crashes result in an estimated 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. It is difficult to determine precisely whether a traffic accident was caused by drowsy driving because, unlike the situation with alcohol-related crashes, no blood, breath, or other measurable test is currently available to quantify levels of sleepiness at the crash site. New Jersey is the only law that has enacted a law regarding driving while drowsy. The law specifically states that sleep-deprived drivers who cause fatal crashes can be convicted of vehicular homicide. Since 2000, nearly ten states have introduced legislation related to Drowsy Driving.
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