New Study Finds One in Three Teens Are Driving While Drowsy

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Teens' lives are increasingly hectic from extracurricular activities, homework, work and other activities, all of which are likely to leave teens sleep deprived. As daylight grows shorter and mornings are darker, new research conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) reveals that over half (56 percent) of licensed teens admit to having driven when they felt too tired to drive their best, 32 percent are driving drowsy at least sometimes, and nearly one in ten teens have completely fallen asleep at the wheel while driving.

http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnvar/20131001/NE87014LOGO-b

"Drowsiness impairs driving performance and reaction time," said William Horrey, Ph.D., principal research scientist at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. "When our brains are tired, our attention, judgment and ability to act are greatly impacted, which has the potential for disaster on the road, particularly if there's inclement weather or a critical situation requiring quick response. The situation can be exacerbated when the driver is a teenager without much experience. If parents, however, address this issue head on, they can foster safer driving practices to help remind their teens of the importance of staying alert on the road."

Parents may also be unwittingly contributing to drowsy driving behaviors. In fact, 39 percent of teens surveyed said that household and family responsibilities impacted their sleep but only 11 percent of parents believed this contributed to their teens not getting an adequate amount. Additionally, 42 percent of teens said they aren't getting enough sleep due to early morning activities, whereas only 19 percent of parents think the activities are the culprit.

"The pressures of school, sports, extracurricular activities and friends can be overwhelming, and teens may not always have the confidence or self-awareness to raise a hand and ask for help if they're running on empty," said Dr. Gene Beresin, senior advisor on adolescent psychiatry with SADD and Executive Director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Parents should have routine conversations with their teens beginning with open-ended questions to gauge the teen's perspective on why they may be prone to drowsy driving. One good path to less worry is for parents to help teens map out their schedules to ensure they get enough sleep before early morning activities and have a ride home if staying out late."

How Parents can Help Prevent Teens from Driving Drowsy

Keywords for this news article include: Insurance Companies, Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2016, NewsRx LLC