NOVEMBER 1–7, 2026
Sleep First. Drive Alert.®
The National Sleep Foundation’s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week® encourages everyone to prioritize sleep and drive when they are alert and refreshed. Our goal is to help people get the sleep they need and reduce the number of drivers who choose to drive while sleep-deprived.
Together, we can help people drive alert and work to prevent thousands of motor vehicle crashes each year.
National Sleep Foundation’s Drowsy Driving Forum
Join National Sleep Foundation and leaders from government, transportation, safety, technology, and public health for a national conversation on drowsy driving prevention.
Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 10am | National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
DROWSY DRIVING PREVENTION WEEK 2026
Fall-asleep crashes are often caused by not getting the sleep you need
Drowsy driving is more likely to cause a crash.
Just like drunk, drugged, and distracted driving, drowsy driving is a real public health issue, causing thousands of car crashes each year and killing an estimated 6,400 people in the U.S. alone according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. 95% of Americans recognize that drowsy driving is dangerous yet nearly two-thirds of Americans report that they have driven while drowsy.
Drowsy driving is really risky.
When you drive without adequate sleep, your motor skills are seriously impaired. In fact, we’ll go as far as saying that drivers who’ve only slept 3 to 5 hours in the last 24 hours are unfit to drive. Most people understand it’s risky, but they don’t think about the consequences.
Drowsy driving is dangerously common.
Young drivers (aged 16-25 years) and shift workers are at greatest risk of falling asleep behind the wheel, but most drivers can relate to a time when they have nodded off while driving. Importantly, drowsy driving is preventable.
Get the sleep you need to be alert and refreshed when you drive
Being your Best Slept Self® is important so you can get the sleep you need before you get behind the wheel. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your sleep health.
Read the steps to get better sleep (PDF)
The 2026 Drowsy Driving Survey
Drowsy driving remains a widespread, preventable, and underrecognized form of impaired driving. Tens of millions of adults are estimated to continue to drive drowsy, and roughly four in ten still don’t recognize the most basic signs of dangerous sleepiness behind the wheel. The public is showing more signs of readiness for technology and policy to play a role in preventing drowsy driving even as adoption and willingness to pay still lag behind general awareness.
KEY SURVEY RESULTS
Drowsy Driving Is Widespread
- About 145M+ adult U.S. Drivers (61%) have driven while drowsy at least
once — and nearly 35M do it at least monthly.
Adults Miss the Most Basic Warning Signs
- ~40% of adult drivers don’t recognize the basic warning signs of
drowsy driving: blinking, head-nodding, and lane drift.
Low Use of Driver Safety Technology
- Almost 6 in 10 (58%) adults are familiar with driver alertness monitoring,
yet only 3 in 10 (31%) have ever used it. - 62% worry about data from alertness-monitoring systems being misused.
Americans Tie Policy to Consequences
- 62% of adults favor making drowsy driving illegal when it results
in a serious injury or fatal crash. - 39% say drowsy driving should be illegal outright.
Millions Back Technology and Education
- An estimated 91M+ U.S. adults support requiring driver-alertness technology in all new vehicles to curb drowsy driving.
- An estimated 91M+ also support requiring sleep and drowsy driving
education as part of licensing.
Keep your family and others safe on the road. The best way to avoid drowsy driving is to
Sleep First. Drive Alert.®
Drowsy driving affects everyone on the road. Download and share the study infographic with your friends and family.
Drowsy driving is dangerously common—but it is preventable.
You can download our full Drowsy Driving Report below to learn more about the results and how to help prevent drowsy driving.
SLEEP HEALTH TOPICS
Discover more drowsy driving resources.
Read on to learn more about how you can be safer behind the wheel by putting #SleepFirst.
Protecting Your Family on the Road Starts at Home with Healthy Sleep
You might not realize is that choosing to drive when not fully alert is a form of impaired driving.
Sleep First to Prevent Drowsy Driving.
Drowsy driving is dangerous, but preventable. Learn some things you can do before getting behind the wheel.
Signs and Symptoms of Drowsy Driving
Before getting into the car with someone or driving yourself, review our tips for preventing Drowsy Driving. Learn the 8 drowsy driving warning signs.
Wait. Drowsy Driving is like Drunk Driving?
When people drive after sleeping four hours or less, it’s like driving drunk. Learn why teenagers are more susceptible to drowsy driving.
Sleep Health and Safety: Navigating the Road to Alert Driving
Understand how technological advancements can enhance two of the most critical aspects of our lives: healthy sleep and safe driving.
Staying Alert on the Road After Work
If you work early mornings, late nights, or alternating shifts, you have a higher chance of drowsy driving. When you’re sleep-deprived, your motor functions and reaction time are impaired, which can raise your chances of getting into a crash.
NSF is proud to recognize our Drowsy Driving Prevention Week sponsors and collaborators who are demonstrating their commitment to sleep health and road safety.
Sponsors
Campaign Collaborators
DDPW Participation Toolkit
FOLLOW US FOR MORE
Join the conversation about sleep health and drowsy driving.
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