Waking Up to Drowsy Driving: Traffic Experts Say Sleepy Driving is a ‘Huge, Underreported’ Problem
A CDC study estimated that if someone gets behind the wheel of a car having not slept in 18 hours, it's similar to having a blood alcohol level of 0.05%. Being awake for 24 hours makes the response time more like someone driving with a BAC of 0.10%, or above the legal limit.
Nationally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates around 1,500 people are killed every year as a result of drowsy driving. However, traffic experts say those statistics are misleading. Among the other categories where roadside deaths occur are "lane departure crashes," "single vehicle run-off-the-road crashes," and "impaired driver crashes," all of which could have been done by someone who fell asleep at the wheel.
"It's a huge problem, underreported, and we have to do more to educate people in the public about the importance of sleep," Pam Shadel Fischer, spokesperson for the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) said.
Read the article at GHSA.
Uber and EVgo Expand Partnership: Discounts Incoming
EVgo announced this month an expansion to its EV charging program for rideshare drivers on Uber’s platform (which has its roots in 2019). The fast charging network intends to increase its utilization through attracting more high-volume ridshare drivers through discounts and benefits.
The number of rideshare vehicles on the road is estimated at nearly one million, which is a noticeable pool of potential customers, especially since the electrification of the rideshare business progresses. Uber, which intends to become a fully zero-emission platform by 2030 in the U.S., adds its own incentives to convince drivers to use electric vehicles.
Uber is expected to get up to 50,000 Tesla cars from Hertz at discounted rates of $334 per week, including insurance and maintenance. EVgo says that it has prepared nearly 600 integrated Tesla connectors at EVgo stations across the U.S. for Tesla drivers.
Read the article at InsideEVs.
Driver Training for Success on the Road
This driver training program offers direct, in-person interaction with professionals who focus on the mechanics and physics of driving — with an end result of helping to reduce crashes and liability.
Delivering High-Powered Wireless Charging
Momentum Dynamics delivers high-powered wireless charging at levels that are commercially viable, especially for fleets.
Beyond Glasgow
I’m working from Alicante, Spain over the next few weeks. The recently concluded COP26 in Glasgow is the topic of the day here, and electric vehicles are top of mind for virtually every fleet. Thus, Ed Pierce’s interview with Kevin Fisher, Director of Truck Electrification Systems at Momentum Dynamics, is especially cogent this week. Don’t miss Wide-Spread High-Power Charging for Electric Vehicles Gets Closer.
Work Fleet Forum
Tod Trousdell reports on last week’s Work Fleet Forum, a conference conducted in a ‘hosted buyer’ format. Tod was highly complimentary of the format and we were keen to learn more about it. He reported, “Several [attendees] said it was an especially welcomed opportunity given pandemic restrictions that made business travel and face-to-face vendor meetings all but impossible.”
Drive Safety!
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
