AAA Arizona Study: Drowsy Driving Accidents 8 Times Higher Than Federal Estimates

Published: Saturday, February 10, 2018 - 12:58pm
Updated: Sunday, February 11, 2018 - 4:37pm

AAA Arizona says its latest study shows that more people than the federal government estimates are driving drowsy, which can be just as dangerous as driving drunk.

Spokeswoman Michelle Donati said it’s alarming how many people admit to driving drowsy.

"Federal estimates indicate that drowsiness is a factor in only one to two percent of crashes," she said. "But according to our research, we believe that crashes involving drowsiness is nearly eight times higher than federal estimates."

Donati said the study used in-vehicle cameras and analyzed the three minutes leading up to the crash. She said drowsy driving is one of the most underreported safety issues because it is hard to detect.