Rate of Fatal Crashes Involving Drowsy Drivers Drops 23% Over 5 Years

Drowsy driving can be an often-ignored danger. Consumers may be increasingly aware of its dangers, though, as the latest ValuePenguin study shows that the percentage of fatal crashes involving a drowsy driver has dropped significantly in the past five years.

Our researchers analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data to find the states where fatal crashes involving a drowsy driver were most prevalent. Via a separate ValuePenguin survey of over 2,000 U.S. consumers, we discuss who is most likely to be a drowsy driver. Finally, learn how drowsy driving can impact your car insurance rates.

Key findings

Fatal crashes involving drowsy drivers dropped

In 2020, 1.6% of fatal crashes involved drowsy driving — down from 2.1% in 2016. That’s a drop of 22.6%.

Percentage of fatal crashes involving a drowsy driver

According to ValuePenguin auto insurance expert Nick VinZant, the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in this significant decrease.

Fatal drowsy driving accidents dropped by 15.0% between 2019 and 2020 — the biggest year-over-year dip in the period analyzed.

Where drowsy driving was most (and least) prevalent

By state, drowsy driving was most prevalent in Wyoming. Between 2016 and 2020, 9.3% of fatal crashes in Wyoming involved a drowsy driver. That’s around six times the national average in 2020 of 1.6%.

A 2020 report showed motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of workplace deaths in Wyoming, according to a Wyoming Tribune Eagle article citing state Department of Workforce Services data. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), crashes are the leading cause of death for oil and gas extraction workers — a prominent industry in the state.

Meanwhile, fatal drowsy driving accidents were least prevalent in Florida, where 0.6% of fatal accidents involved a drowsy driver. That’s followed by the District of Columbia and North Carolina (both 0.7%).

Full rankings: States with the highest rate of crashes involving drowsy drivers

Fatal drowsy driving accidents happened most often during the day and on weekdays

Drowsy driving was more commonly involved in fatal crashes in the 2016-to-2020 period during the day (2.3%) and on weekdays (2.0%). Most wouldn’t expect drowsy driving to be so common during this time. However, people experience dips in their circadian rhythm — how the body regulates sleep — in the late afternoon. When you’re sleep-deprived, you’re especially likely to feel that midday lag.

Percentage of fatal crashes involving a drowsy driver (by time and day)

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends most adults get seven to nine hours of sleep before a typical workday to avoid drowsy driving. However, a November 2022 survey from the NSF found people reported sleeping an average of 7.1 hours on workdays and 7.4 hours on weekends. That means just 56% of adults get the recommended amount of sleep before an average workday. Meanwhile, a higher percentage (62%) of adults get the recommended amount of sleep before an average weekend day.

Drowsy driving was also more common in fatal accidents around Christmas than during other holidays. In total, 2.3% of fatal accidents from 2016 to 2020 during Christmastime involved drowsy drivers. To put that in perspective, drowsy driving comprised 1.9% of fatal accidents during Labor Day, 1.8% during the Fourth of July and 1.7% during Thanksgiving.

Percentage of fatal crashes involving a drowsy driver (by holiday)

Weather and more: What else is at play?

It’s not just the holidays and time of day that matter: There are differences depending on the weather, too. When severe crosswinds were present, 4.1% of fatal accidents involved a drowsy driver — twice as high as the overall rate of drowsy driving accidents. Drowsy driving also made up 3.1% of fatal accidents during visually impairing conditions (such as fog, wind and smoke) and 2.5% of fatal accidents during blowing snow.

Percentage of fatal crashes involving a drowsy driver (by weather condition)

Compounding risk is likely a factor here. The 2022 NSF survey found that consumers’ confidence in their ability to drive safely generally declined with less sleep, but most consumers were still very confident in their ability to drive on very little sleep. In fact, less than half (46%) said they weren’t at all confident in their ability to drive when they had only slept between zero and two hours. Combined with already dangerous atmospheric conditions, that false sense of confidence means the risk of unsafe driving is likely higher.

However, it’s worth noting that drowsy drivers are less likely to hit another driver. Between 2016 and 2020, a higher rate of fatal drowsy accidents were single-vehicle crashes. Of all fatal accidents, drowsy driving was involved in:

Young drivers more likely to be involved in fatal drowsy driving accidents

Who’s most likely to be involved in a fatal drowsy driving accident? According to our analysis of the data, young adults. From 2016 to 2020, drowsy driving was cited in 1.9% of fatal crashes involving 16- to 24-year-olds. Comparatively, that figure was 1.2% among 25- to 54-year-olds and those 55 and older.

Percentage of fatal crashes involving a drowsy driver (by age group)

VinZant believes behavior plays a role. "Younger drivers are always more likely to engage in any risky driving behavior," he says. "They typically don’t think something will happen to them. The truth, however, is that it affects them most — which is why we see a higher rate of fatal drowsy driving accidents among younger drivers."

It also boils down to biological differences. According to the NHTSA, teens are vulnerable to drowsy driving crashes because many don’t get enough sleep at a stage in life when their biological need for sleep is high. That’s especially true on longer trips.

Why do consumers drive while drowsy?

Unfortunately, drowsy driving is a common occurrence. In a ValuePenguin survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers, almost 6 in 10 (59%) Americans say they’ve driven drowsy.

Notably, 65% of men say they’ve driven drowsy — 11 percentage points higher than the 54% of women who say similarly. Midwesterners (63%) and Southerners (61%) are more likely to have driven drowsy than Westerners (54%) and Northeasterners (53%).

Percentage of Americans who’ve driven while drowsy (by demographic group)

The reason consumers drive while drowsy? Most say it’s fatigue (57%) or sleepiness (56%), but nearly 2 in 5 (39%) blame a disrupted sleep schedule for their drowsy driving habits. Following that, consumers are most likely to say they’ve driven drowsy because of the following factors:

By age group, Gen Zers and millennials are most likely to cite sleepiness as a reason, at 65% for both. Meanwhile, 55% of baby boomers cite fatigue as a reason. Men (40%) are also more likely than women (33%) to say their work schedule was to blame for driving drowsy.

How driving while drowsy can impact your car insurance

When it comes to drowsy driving, a fatal accident is the worst-case scenario. If you’re at fault in a drowsy driving crash, however, you can expect to face some consequences. That can include lawsuits or reckless driving charges, VinZant says — and it’ll impact your car insurance, too.

"If you’re involved in a drowsy driving crash, you won’t just be facing potential legal and financial consequences, you’ll also be paying more for car insurance," he says. "On average, rates go up 46% after an at-fault accident and 21% after a speeding ticket. That means you could pay hundreds or thousands more dollars a year for car insurance."

VinZant says the best things to do to avoid drowsy driving are to get a good night’s sleep and avoid driving when you feel sleep deprived. If you need to get on the road, use public transportation. If that’s not an option, see if you can get a ride from a friend or family member or take frequent breaks while driving.