A Wake-up Call on the Dangers of Drowsy Driving
When we talk about impaired driving, most people think of alcohol or drugs, but driving while drowsy impairs your performance in ways that are like those other hazards. Consider the data:
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) points out that drivers sleeping only 3-5 hours in the prior 24 hours are essentially impaired and unfit to drive.
About 60% of adult drivers report having driven while so tired they had trouble keeping their eyes open.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that fatigue doesn’t just mean “I feel sleepy.” It means slowed reaction time, reduced attention, micro-sleeps (those brief nods you don’t fully register), lane drift, and impaired judgment.
Many drivers believe they’re fine even when they’re not. Nearly 90% of adults say they’d avoid driving after drinking, but only about 50% say they would avoid driving when they haven’t had enough sleep.
Interview with Jennifer Morrison, Director of Vehicle Safety Strategy at Mazda USA
To better understand how technology and driver education can work together to combat fatigue, we interviewed Jennifer Morrison, Director of Vehicle Safety Strategy at Mazda USA. A former highway crash investigator turned safety champion, Morrison bridges the gap between real-world experience and next-generation engineering to offer insights every driver and fleet manager should hear.
DriveSafe Online: We’ve heard people compare driving while tired to driving under the influence. From your perspective, is that a fair comparison?
Morrison: “Yes, it is. Both tired driving and driving under the influence impair reaction time, judgment, and awareness. NHTSA research shows that sleep deprivation can impair driving ability similarly to alcohol intoxication. Fatigue-related crashes often mirror those caused by drunk driving in terms of severity and preventability.”
DriveSafe Online: What are some clear red flags that it’s time to pull over and rest, not just push through?
Morrison: “Warning signs include difficulty focusing, drifting from your lane, the feeling of heavy eyelids, and missing exits. GHSA emphasizes that slowed reaction time and increased risk-taking are key indicators of fatigue.”
Those red flags are essential early signals. If you notice yourself drifting off course or missing signs, you’ve already slipped past the “just tired” boundary and entered the “danger” zone.
DriveSafe Online: In your opinion, what’s the hardest part about changing driver behavior, and can technology really help with that?
Morrison: “Behavior change is hard because fatigue is invisible and often rationalized. Technology like Driver Attention Alert, which is standard on most new Mazda models, along with available Driver Monitoring Systems, can help by identifying patterns of inattentiveness and prompting breaks before fatigue escalates. But technology alone isn’t enough—education and culture shifts are a key part of improving the problem.”
This is a key point: we can build better cars, but the driver still has to accept and respond to the warning. The habit, the mindset, the culture of “I’ll push through” must be addressed, and tech is one tool not the entire answer.
DriveSafe Online: Before your time as Director of Vehicle Safety at Mazda, you spent several years as a highway crash investigator. How did seeing the aftermath of crashes firsthand change the way you think about driver behavior and safety systems?
Morrison: “Seeing the aftermath of fatigue-related crashes firsthand underscored how preventable many of them are. It reinforced the importance of designing systems that intervene before a driver’s lapse in attentiveness becomes fatal. Humans make mistakes, sometimes irreversible ones. Improved driver assistance technology needs to be intuitive and supportive, not punitive. Systems that alert, assist, and educate drivers are most effective when they respect the driver’s role while compensating for human limitations.”
From the crash scene to safety research, Morrison’s perspective is a powerful reminder that many of these tragedies aren’t simply “accidents,” but often the result of predictable failures that could be avoided with the right systems and behaviors.
DriveSafe Online: How do features in the i-ACTIVSENSE like Lane Departure Warning, Smart Brake Support, and Mazda Radar Cruise Control help to reduce the risks associated with a drowsy driver?
Morrison: “Lane Departure Warning and Lane-Keep Assist help prevent unintended lane drift, while Mazda Radar Cruise Control maintains safe following distances, reducing cognitive load. Smart Brake Support provides critical intervention if a fatigued driver fails to react.”
In short: when fatigue dims your attention, these systems act like a second pair of eyes or a safety net. They don’t replace vigilance, but they reduce the consequences of small mistakes. And for drivers who might be getting sleepy, they can literally mean the difference between a near-miss and a crash.
DriveSafe Online: Even with advanced technology, there is still a human element; people must make split-second decisions when driving. How important is driver education and awareness training in preventing drowsy-driving crashes?
Morrison: “Driver education is essential. Technology can assist, but drivers need to understand the risks and recognize their own limits. GHSA’s “Wake Up Call” report emphasizes the need for public education, especially among high-risk groups like shift workers and young adults.”
This is where companies can make a real difference. It’s the blend of awareness, training, and culture that complements the vehicle’s tech.
DriveSafe Online: After everything you’ve learned on the road and in the lab, what do you think is still the most important factor in keeping people safe behind the wheel?
Morrison: “Driver self-awareness. Recognizing when you’re not fit to drive, and then choosing not to, is the most powerful safety tool. Technology and education can reinforce this.”
Perhaps the hardest but most important shift: giving yourself permission not to drive when conditions aren’t ideal. Choosing rest isn’t being lazy; it’s being smart.
DriveSafe Online: You’ve seen the evolution of safety from the crash scene to the design studio. What excites you most about where crash-avoidance technology is heading next?
Morrison: “The integration of biometric monitoring and AI-driven personalization. Systems that adapt to individual drivers and predict risk before it manifests are the next frontier of driving technology.”
Imagine a vehicle that knows you’re nodding off, or your micro-reactions are slowing, and gently tells you: “hey, take a break.” That’s not science-fiction. It’s the direction technology is heading.
DriveSafe Online: What advice would you give to drivers who tell themselves, “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little tired”?
Morrison: “That mindset is dangerous. Fatigue impairs you before you realize it. You wouldn’t drive after a few drinks, so don’t drive when tired. Your life—and others’—depends on it.”
Straightforward and tough. But absolutely true.
Drive Awake: Eight Proven Ways to Prevent Drowsy-Driving Crashes
Morrison’s experience makes one thing clear: awareness and prevention start long before fatigue takes hold. Here are eight proven ways to stay alert and safe behind the wheel:
- Prioritize sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours per night. Deviating significantly increases your crash risk.
- Recognize your red flags: yawning, heavy eyelids, drifting lanes, missing exits, trouble focusing. If you notice them, stop driving and rest.
- If you have a long drive (especially late at night or early morning), schedule breaks every 2 hours or 100 miles, switch drivers if possible, or pull off for a power nap (15-20 minutes is useful).
- When running a fleet or training drivers: highlight fatigue as another form of impaired driving, incorporate it into training materials, encourage company culture that allows drivers to say “I’m too tired” without penalty, and equip vehicles with attention/monitoring systems where feasible.
- Leverage technology. Systems like attention alerts, lane-keeping aids, adaptive cruise control all help, but you must still choose to be alert and rested.
- For young drivers, shift workers, or anyone on an irregular schedule: be extra cautious. These groups have higher risk of fatigue-driving.
- Create an “if-then” plan. For example: If I feel that I’m drifting or have heavy eyelids, then I will pull off at the next safe rest area or sleep 20 min before continuing. Having a solid plan makes action more likely.
- Talk about fatigue with passengers. If you’re the driver and you feel tired, speak up. If you’re a passenger and the driver is showing signs, speak up.
Driving fatigued doesn’t get talked about as much as drunk or distracted driving, but the crash risk for an impaired driver who has slept poorly can approach the risk of someone driving drunk. The good news? It’s a problem we can address.
We can sleep more, plan better, build awareness, use better technology, and train smarter. Mazda’s advanced safety technologies are designed to step in when fatigue takes over. But no system can replace a driver’s judgment. DriveSafe Online’s Defensive Driving Courses build the awareness, decision-making skills, and confidence drivers need to recognize fatigue before it becomes dangerous. Technology and training help make trips safer for everyone on the road.
