WORCESTER, Mass — As people get used to the clocks springing forward, a new AAA study has found that the dangers of drowsy driving are more widespread than statistics might show.

Previous studies have shown that the risks of drowsy driving can be life-threatening, particularly for people who have had fewer than five hours of sleep. The latest study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety nonprofit found that crashes caused by drowsy driving are often under-reported.

Mark Schieldrop, a senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast, said that the study shows drowsy driving is a factor in 10 times as many traffic fatalities as traditional crash data indicates.

“It kind of speaks to a larger problem as a society. We’re all a little sleep-deprived. Many folks have a real hard time getting a solid eight hours of sleep every night, so we think that our most recent study really kind of speaks to the overall issue that too many people are driving too tired,” Schieldrop said. “Because we know that when you’re drowsy, tired and have gotten less than five hours of sleep, your crash risk starts to resemble that of driving drunk.”

According to AAA, 18% of all traffic fatalities between 2017 and 2021 were estimated to involve a drowsy driver, accounting for nearly 30,000 deaths.