When we talk about driving under the influence, 9 out of 10 times, the immediate thought is alcohol or cannabis. And I mean, they are the default thought for a reason, the highest cause of driving under the influence has been alcohol, however, there are so many more ways to be under the influence and sometimes without even knowing it.

Take for instance, the teen fell asleep while driving along Sharp Street on Hingham Boston at 2:30am. They were driving home from an event, crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into a pole. Thankfully, he was able to pull himself out of the car and had no life-threatening injuries and no one else was harmed in said crash. The police made a statement that follows your sentiment today, “Drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as impairment from alcohol/drugs.”

To add on to this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that, “Effectively dealing with the drowsy-driving problem requires fundamental changes to social norms and especially attitudes about drowsy driving.” According to the NHTSA, drowsy-driving crashes are most likely to happen between midnight and 6 a.m. or during the late afternoon. These periods align with natural dips in the body’s circadian rhythm, our internal clock that controls sleep patterns.

If you might be thinking, well, there are cars now where if you’re a little bit tipsy or falling asleep, it will just drive for you, then you might wanna take a look at the story of the Tipsy Teen from Long Island!

Guido Reinoso-Gallegos, was charged with driving under the influence when he got tipsy, hopped in a Tesla and switched into autopilot mode on a busy Connecticut highway before going to sleep. Guido was found slumped over the wheels when the car rolled down highway i-91 south at 30 miles per hour with its hazard light on when police vehicles pulled in front of his car, forcing it to stop. He was checked for medical emergencies and when none were found, he was arrested for driving under the influence and reckless endangerment after failing the sobriety test. 

This was still seen as drunk driving even though the car was doing the driving because you still need to have a cognitive awareness to accelerate or brake at any given moment which our dear Guido could not.

These stories are a reminder that being under the influence isn’t confined just to drinking or drugs. For teens, understanding the full spectrum of influences is absolutely important, it’s knowing that, popping an allergy pill, skipping sleep or taking a “harmless” gummy could be the difference between a regular Friday night and a Saturday morning headline.

So let’s try to practice a few things.

  • Sleep matters. Rest = A safe driver and a safer world around you.
  • Stay alert about tech. Use drivers assist features responsibly and keep on your awareness.
  • Avoid substance mixing. Avoid substances in the firs place but especially, avoid mixing your substances.

a graphic portraying factors of drowsy driving and why they matter.