AUSTIN -- In a study published earlier this year, SleepJunkie.com analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and more to look at instances of drowsy driving crashes in the U.S. and the fatalities that had occurred from them.
Among their findings:
- Texas led the country in sleep-related fatalities in 2016. 159 were recorded in the Lone Star State compared to the next highest, Alabama, which had 43.
- The CDC claims that 1 in 25 drivers have fallen asleep while driving in the past month alone. Adding on their site that the NHTSA estimates nearly 72,000 crashes due to drowsy driving in 2016.
- While vehicle-on-vehicle crashes make up more than 30 percent of sleep-related crashes, nearly two-thirds of the crashes were from a vehicle running into another object.
SleepJunkie also found that Sundays and Mondays were statistically the worst days for sleep-related crashes and that the most crashes happened between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Experts urge sleepy drivers to always seek a safe way off the road and to then take a nap. In Texas, it is legal to spend up to 24 hours at a rest stop or rest area for napping purposes.