NTSB Determines Fatigue the Cause of Fatal Teen Crash in Texas
The 18-year-old driver had less than five hours of sleep before operating the vehicle.
The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that fatigue was the source of a fatal crash involving a teenage driver in Robstown, Texas, in 2016. The 18-year-old driver had less than five hours of sleep before driving across a median and hitting an oncoming semitractor-trailer.
The three teen passengers were killed and the driver was seriously injured. The truck driver was not injured.
"Fatigue is a preventable safety issue that continues to result in far too many crashes," said NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart. "Young drivers are at a high-risk for being involved in drowsy driving crashes. Teens need about eight to 10 hours of sleep each night to function best, yet one study found that more than two-thirds of high school students get seven hours of sleep or less on an average school night. This lack of sleep presents a serious hazard to our youngest drivers."