[News Today] High fatality of drowsy driving

[LEAD]
Daytime temperatures are on the rise here in Korea. And that means drivers need to watch out for one thing, drowsy driving. Rolling up the windows may seem harmless, but it causes carbon dioxide levels to spike inside the car, which in turn, triggers drowsiness. Here's more.

[REPORT]
A cargo truck driving on a highway crashes into a construction vehicle at a standstill.

A passenger car drifted out of its lane and hit the truck driver who was standing in the shoulder of the road.

Both the accidents were caused by drowsy driving.

Shim Ki-won / Gangwon Provincial Police
Accident risks run high since drivers have eyes completely shut, unable to predict what's ahead, leading to collision.

The main cause of drowsy driving is carbon dioxide.

Lee Yoo-jin / KBS reporter
We are going to drive a car and measure how high the carbon dioxide level will rise in the car.

The level of carbon dioxide was 600ppm when the car set off with all windows closed. But it exceeded 5,000ppm after a 30-minute drive.

In this situation, the driver can hardly concentrate on driving with dimmed eyes and weakening attention span.

Prof. Lee Woo-hyuk / Korea Road Traffic Authority
A higher level of carbon dioxide slows down responses and impairs judgment, leading to drowsy driving.

2.7 people die in every 100 accidents caused by drowsy driving. It is two times higher than the fatality rate in non-drowsy driving crashes.

In particular, the risk of drowsy driving gets higher in the spring when the daytime temperature climbs sharply.

Experts ask drivers to open the window and ventilate the car frequently while on the road. Drivers are also advised to stop driving immediately and take breaks if they continue to feel drowsy.

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