Drowsy Driving Awareness Week

September 6-10, 2010

Was it an early morning for you? Did you have too much on your mind last night and couldn’t fall asleep? Are you yawning now? Groggy? Nodding off? You’re probably driving drowsy and you’re at greater risk for getting into a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year, driver fatigue results in 100,000 police-reported crashes, 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.

Nearly 30 percent of American drivers have admitted to falling asleep at the wheel, according to a recent National Sleep Foundation poll, and more than half said they have driven while drowsy.

Maybe it's happened to you. You end up at your destination and don't even remember much of the drive. You jerk awake when you hear the rumble strips and realize the vehicle was drifting toward the shoulder. Drowsy driving is impaired driving.

Florida's Drowsy Driving Awareness Week honors Ronshay Dugans, a Tallahassee girl who died when a drowsy driver plowed in the van she was riding in. When you snooze behind the wheel, everyone around you loses. By sharing her story, everyone can learn more about the potential dangers of drowsy driving.

Who's most at risk?

• Young people, especially males under age 26.
• Shift workers and people with long work hours. Working the night shift increases your risk by nearly six times; rotating-shift workers and people working more than 60 hours a week also are at higher risk.
• Commercial and long-haul drivers. About 15 percent of all heavy truck crashes involve fatigue.
• People with undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders are seven times more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.
• Business travelers who spend many hours driving or may be jet lagged.

What to do?

• Get a good night's sleep before driving. Good overall sleep habits will go a long way to prevent drowsy driving.

• Take a companion on long trips. Not only will you have someone to share the driving and help keep you awake, but you'll be able to save energy by carpooling too.

• Schedule regular breaks, about every 100 miles or every couple of hours. Check out Florida's network of rest areas, service plazas, truck comfort stations and welcome centers.

• Do not consume alcohol and avoid medications that cause drowsiness.

Where can I find more information?

Utah: Sleep Smart. Drive Smart.

New York State: Drowsy Driving Awareness Week

National Sleep Foundation: Drowsy Driving

Help Spread the Word About Drowsy Driving

Drowsy Driving Prevention Week Toolkit - Posters, fact sheets and other resources to help spread the word about ways to prevent drowsy driving.

National Sleep Foundation's YouTube Channel - Video public service announcements and interviews with celebrities on the issue.