For lack of available data in the country regarding incidents of drowsy driving, we turn to the United States of America where the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other agencies have compiled relevant statistics.
The NHTSA reports that drowsy driving leads to 100,000 police-reported crashes and over 1,500 deaths each year, with the incidents accounting for about 13% of the total $836 billion in societal costs of traffic crashes.
The same incidents caused 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. In 2017 alone, 795 people died and 50,000 people were injured in drowsy driving accidents.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), more than 40% of drivers admitted they have fallen asleep behind the wheel.
With the Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine (PSSM) and the national government concentrating their “TABI MUNA” campaign in Metro Manila, it is high time that local agencies as well as transport operators regularly remind every driver and motorist to get six to seven hours of sleep every day to prevent such accidents.
Aside from the smaller capacity vans and buses which leave northern towns usually in the early morning, the island’s big transport company carries no less than 2,000 passengers daily to their destinations.
Local governments or the DPWH could install signs along the circumferential road advising weary drivers to pull over and rest if they feel sleepy.
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While most people have normal circadian rhythms (regular sleep and wake patterns), those who work overnight or off-hour work shifts like drivers, security guards, call center agents and health workers often adjust to the effects.
Some people whose normal sleep-and-wake cycles are disrupted by physical activity, food intake, stress, temperature, certain medications and poor sleep habits are certain to exhibit sleepiness at any time during the day.
According to sleep experts, an hour of “sleep debt” incurred at night required two hours of additional sleep to help the affected person recover.
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Yet another case of sexual abuse committed against women and children has been recorded by the Catanduanes police.
Last Sept. 5, 2026 (Saturday), a hot pursuit operation conducted by personnel of the Pandan Municipal Police Station led to the arrest of an individual.
The apprehension came just hours after the six-year-old victim, accompanied by her father, reported the incident to the police.
Law enforcers found the suspect inside his residence, with the victim positively identifying him as the one responsible for the crime.
After gathering needed information about the incident, the police made the arrest and brought the suspect to the station for processing as well as the district hospital for the required physical and medical examination.
The report, which did not provide any other details about the suspect, did not state if the victim underwent medico-legal examination at the hospital although the procedure is a given in such cases.
If the local government had already purchased sexual assault investigations kits as urged by the DILG, health personnel could have secured from both parties DNA evidence that would prove the guilt or innocence of the respondent.
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CONGRESSMEN AND ENGINEERS IN HEAVEN. St. Peter is manning the pearly gates when forty people from the Philippine congress and the DPWH show up. Never having seen anyone from the House of Representatives and the nation’s biggest infrastructure agency at heaven’s door, St. Peter says he will have to check with God.
After hearing the news, God instructs him to admit the ten most virtuous people from the group.
A few minutes later, St. Peter returns to God breathless and says, “They’re gone!”
“What? All of the congressmen and engineers are gone?” asks God.
“No!” replies St. Peter. “The pearly gates.”