Which statement accurately describes the relationship between being tired and impairment when driving?

The statement that being tired may cause a person to become impaired more quickly accurately reflects the relationship between fatigue and driving performance. When a person is tired, their cognitive functions such as attention, reaction time, and decision-making can become significantly diminished. This deterioration in mental faculties can lead to slower reaction times, poor judgment, and an overall increased likelihood of being involved in an accident. Therefore, fatigue can mimic the effects of alcohol impairment in terms of driving ability.

Fatigue affects a driver’s vigilance and can lead to microsleeps—brief periods of sleep that can occur without warning—during which a driver is completely unaware and may not respond to external stimuli. This increased risk of impairment due to tiredness illustrates how crucial it is to recognize the dangers of driving while fatigued, same as when under the influence of substances.