Statistics Related to Drowsy Driver Crashes

Each year, at least, 1500 people die in crashes related to sleepy, fatigued or drowsy drivers in the United States of America. This is according to statistics gathered by the federal government. This number is most likely an underestimate. Unless someone witnesses or survives the crash and can testify to the driver's condition, it is difficult to determine if the driver fell asleep.

Each year, at least, 40,000 people are injured in drowsy driver crashes. For the same reasons as above, this is also probably an underestimate.

At least 100,000 crashes are caused by drowsy drives, each year.

62% of surveyed American adults (72% of men and 54% of women) reported driving while feeling drowsy.

37% of surveyed American adults (49% of men and 26% of women) said they have dozed off while driving at least once.

27% of surveyed American adults (36% of men and 20% of women) said they have dozed off while driving in the past year.

20% of surveyed Canadian adults said they have dozed off while driving in the past year.

40% of surveyed Irish adults said they have experienced driver fatigue in the past year.

12% of surveyed people say sleeplessness affected their driving.

According to the THINK! Road Safety website by the United Kingdom Department for Transportation (7/2004): "Research commissioned by the Government found a fifth of motorway collisions are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel and one in ten crashes on all of Britain's roads - around 23,300 a year are also linked to fatigue. Sleep-related vehicle accidents (SRVAs) are more likely to result in serious injury than the 'average' road accident."

According the most recent figures available when my wife died in 1999, more people died in crashes caused by drowsy drivers than from each of the following causes:

Hepatitis Type B

Viral Hepatitis

Kidney Infections

Meningitits

Acute Respiratory Infections

Viral Pneumonia

Influenza

Pleurisy

Gastritis and Duodenitis

Appendicitis

Abdominal Cavity Hernia

Peritonitis

Hypotension

Typhoid Disorders

Alcoholic Psychoses

Inflamatory Diseases of the Central nervious System

Infantile Cerebral Palsy

Epilepsy

Phlebitis and Thrombophlebitis

Infections of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissues

Newborns Affected by Maternal Compliations of Pregnancy

"Water Transportation" Accidents

Air and Space Crashes

Railroad Crashes

Electrocutions

Accidently shot by a firearm

Falliong Down Stairs

Falls from a ladder, scaffolding or a building

Excessive Heat

Excessive Cold

Drowning during Sports or Recreation

Drowning in a Bathtub

Inhalation and Ingestion of Food

Suffocation from Bedding, Cradles, Plastic Bags, Locked in a Small Space, Falling Earth

Agricultural, Lifting, Earth Moving and Earth Excavation Machinery

Accidentally Shot by a Hangun, Shotgun or Hunting Rifle

And almost as many as Multiple Sclorosis...

Additionally, more people die each year from crashes related to Drowsy, Sleepy or Fatigued Drivers than from all of the following causes COMBINED:

Plague

Anthrax

Leprosy

Diptheria

Whooping Cough

Tetanus

Smallpox

Chicken Pox

Measles

Rubella

Yellow Fever

Dengue

Mosquito-born Encephilitis

Infectious Mononucleosis

Malaria

Venereal Diseases

Vitamin A, B, C and D Difficiencies

Gout

Glaucoma

Cataracts

Hemorrhoids

Chronic Sinusitis

Pregnancies with Abortive Outcomes

Impetigo

Psoriasis

Spina Bifida

Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip

Bites from Snakes, Lizards and Spiders

Dog Bites

Hornet, Wasp and Bee Stings

Catacylsmic Earth Movements and Eruptions

Fireworks

Here are the specific number of people who died from each of these causes. The diseases are from 1992, the accidents from 1996:

Diseases:

Abdominal Cavity Hernia...................................1,319

Acute Respiratory Infections..............................  860

.....Chronic Sinusitis....................................   89

Alcoholic Psychoses.......................................  384

Anthrax...................................................    0

Appendicitis..............................................  413

Asbestosis................................................  285

Birth Trauma..............................................  218

Cataracts.................................................    2

Cerebral Palsy: Infantile.................................  821

Chicken Pox...............................................  100

Cholera...................................................  597

Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip................................   14


Cystitis..................................................  155

Dengue....................................................    1

Diptheria.................................................    1

Drug Dependence...........................................  309

Encephilitis: Mosquito-born...............................    3

Epilepsy..................................................1,391

Gastritis and Duodenitis..................................  641

Glaucoma..................................................    3

Gout......................................................   87

Hemorrhoids...............................................   13

Hepatitis: Type B.........................................1,027

Hepatitis: Viral.........................................~1,500

Herpes: Simplex and Zoster................................  284

Hypotension...............................................  868

Inflamatory Diseases of the Central Nervious System.......1,315

Influenza.................................................1,006

Kidney Infections........................................~1,300

Leprosy...................................................    2

Lipoma....................................................    9

Malaria...................................................    6

Measles...................................................    4

Meningitits..............................................~1,000

Mental Retardation........................................  395

Mononucleosis: Infectious.................................   19

Newborns Affected by Maternal Compliations of Pregnancy...1,462

Peritonitis...............................................1,359

Phlebitis and Thrombophlebitis............................1,311

Plague....................................................    1

Pleurisy..................................................  806

Pneumonia: Viral..........................................  532

Pregnancies with Abortive Outcomes........................   52

.....Spontaneous Abortion.................................    9

.....Legal Induced Abortions..............................    5

.....Illegally Induced Abortioned.........................    2

Pregnancy: Complications Related to.......................  107

Rhuematic Fever: Acute....................................  100

Rhuematism, Excluding the Back............................  501

Rubella...................................................    1

Schzophrenic Psychoses....................................  292

Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Infections...................  749

.....Impetigo.............................................    2

.....Psoriasis............................................   29

Smallpox..................................................    0

Spina Bifida..............................................  162

Spine Curvature...........................................  304

Tetanus...................................................    9

Tuberculosis: Pulmanary...................................1,289

Typhoid Disorders.........................................1,062

Venereal Diseases.........................................   96

Venomous Animals and Plants...............................   81

.....Bites from Snakes, Lizards and Spiders...............   16

.....Dog Bites............................................   18

.....Hornet, Wasp and Bee Stings..........................   59

Vitamin A Difficiencies...................................    1

Vitamin B Difficiencies...................................   17

Vitamin C Difficiencies...................................    1

Vitamin D Difficiencies...................................    7

Yellow Fever..............................................    0

Whooping Cough............................................    5



And almost as many as Multiple Sclorosis..................1,900

Accidents:

Air and Space Crashes.....................................1,061

Catacylsmic Earth Movements and Eruptions.................   25

Drowning during Sports or Recreation......................  822

Drowning in a Bathtub.....................................  281

Electrocutions............................................  559

.....Domestic Wiring and Appliances.......................   88

.....Power Plants.........................................  158

.....Industrial Wiring and Machinery......................   26

Excessive Heat............................................  716

Excessive Cold............................................  533

Falling Objects...........................................  656

Falls down Stairs.........................................1,241

Falls from a Ladder or Scaffolding........................  352

Falls from or out of a Building...........................  467

Falls into a Hole.........................................   94

Falls by Slipping, Tripping or Stumbling..................  491

Firearm Missles by Accident...............................1,225

.....by Handgun...........................................  233

.....by Shotgun...........................................  116

.....by Hunting Rifle.....................................   64

Fireworks.................................................    2

Hunger, Thirst, Exposure and Neglect......................  203

Ignition of clothing......................................  131

Inhalation and Ingestion of Food..........................1,088

Lightning.................................................   76

Machinery Accident........................................  986

.....Agricultural Machinery...............................  514

.....Lifting Machinery....................................  141

.....Earth Movers and Excavation Machinery................  106

Mechanical Suffocation....................................1,062

.....Suffocation from Bedding and Cradles.................  207

.....Suffocation from Plastic Bags........................   37

.....Suffocation from being Locked in a Small Space.......   14

.....Suffocation from Falling Earth.......................   59

Railroad Crashes..........................................  565

"Water Transportation" Accidents..........................  675

Click here to return to my story about Robyn's Crash

Click here to see e-mails I have received about Robyn's Crash

Click here to see pictures of Robyn's Crash

Return to Phil's American Indian history page:

Go to Phil's CHP page:

Return to Robyn's Whale Watching page:

Go to Robyn's Obituary:

Web Rings for this site:

Links to other Drowsy Driver sites:

Sign My Guestbook

View My Guestbook

Phil Konstantin

P.O.BOX 17515
SAN DIEGO, CA 92177-7515
United States

This page has been visited

times since May 14, 2000.

Officer Phil Konstantin
California Highway Patrol
7183 Opportunity Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 467-3334

Click here to see pictures of Robyn's Crash

Links to other Drowsy Driver sites:

Statistics related to Drowsy Driver crashes:

Click here to see e-mails I have received about this page

Go to Robyn's Whale Watching page:

Go to Robyn's Obituary:

Click here to see a memorial plaque for Robyn placed on the HMCS Yukon:

Web Rings for this site:

Go to Phil's American Indian history page:

Go to Phil's CHP page:

Click on the drop down menu:

or
Click on the image below to go to......

My Website's Home Page Links: (8,700 and counting) Tribal Names

Indian Moons Personal Photos My Biography

Sleepy Driver The Space Program Ancient Ruins in Central America

Maya Ruins in Mexico Whales Awards & Webrings

Cherokee Holiday 2001 Cherokee Enrollment My Newsletters

My Store California Highway Patrol Indian Era Forts

Articles I Wrote Northwestern USA Indian Country American Indian Museum in D.C. 2004

Movie & Book Reviews KUSI TV, my other job Mesa Verde and Utah in 2006

My Mortgage Loan Company 2006 SDSU Powwow Beach Photos