14% of Americans Have Fallen Asleep at the Wheel

A survey sponsored by ERIE Insurance found that 14% of Americans have admitted to falling asleep at the wheel. ERIE data also indicates a steady increase in drivers falling asleep behind the wheel since 2020.

Drowsy Driving Statistics from ERIE Survey

According to ERIE’s survey, many Americans are not getting the recommended number of hours of sleep per night.

The survey reports that 54% sleep less than seven hours a night;
Roughly 11% get four or fewer hours of sleep a night; and
The largest group of respondents (43%) reported averaging five to six hours of sleep nightly.

The ERIE survey additionally identified those times of day when drivers are the most drowsy and likely to be involved in an accident.

Americans are most tired while driving during late-night hours.
Between 10 pm to 3 am, 42% of respondents reported feeling the most tired.
The next most dangerous time was during the early hours of the morning between 3 am and 10 am when 23% of responding drivers reported feeling the drowsiest.

The ERIE survey revealed a quarter of Americans (25%) note that driving is a core responsibility of their jobs. This encompasses a wide range of professions, from gig economy workers delivering food and taxi drivers to long-haul truckers.

Survey Shows Americans Underestimate Risks of Drowsy Driving

Interventions Reported for Drowsy Driving

Despite feeling drowsy, drivers participating in the ERIE survey reported attempting to stay awake while driving through several methods. These include:

Consume a caffeinated beverage (63%);
Turn up the music (62%);
Roll down the window/cool the car down (58%); and
Talk to someone on the phone (28%).

Women are more likely to participate in the distracting action of talking on their cell phones (32%) compared to men (23%). ERIE cautions against using a cell phone while driving and recommends taking a break to rest.

Many drivers do take a rest break (59%), the survey found, potentially saving themselves and others from the dangers of drowsy driving. (Although the actions above might refresh a driver temporarily, they also might create more of a distraction.)

Survey participants attributed their sleep deficits to various sources, including stress related to personal or family life (52%), anxiety over current events (42%), excessive social media use (24%), and the demands of parental duties (14%).