Royal Oman Police warns sleep-deprived drivers against dozing off

Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has warned sleep-deprived motorists against dozing off behind the wheel.

On its official Twitter account, the ROP said, “Fatigue causes serious car accidents. Closing your eyes for three seconds while driving is the equivalent of passing 80m without seeing anything. If you’re tired, stop! If you have someone with you in the car, make sure they stay up with you while driving so that you are not alone.”

According to the ROP, symptoms of sleep-deprived driving include slowed reactions, crossing lanes, constant yawning, and frequent blinking.

“Sleeping just 15 minutes can save your life,” the statement concluded.

Oman is not alone in its fight against drowsy drivers. Sleep-deprived driving is a growing international problem, resulting in deaths, injuries and major accidents around the world.

According to the US-based Centre for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 1 in 25 adult drivers (aged 18 years or older) report having fallen asleep while driving in the previous 30 days in the United States alone.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drowsy driving is related to at least 100,000 motor-vehicle crashes and more than 1,500 deaths a year. Some 71,000 drowsiness-related crashes involve non-fatal injuries. The estimated annual monetary loss related to drowsy driving is some $12.5 billion.