THIS WEEK IS DROWSY DRIVING PREVENTION WEEK!
November 10-16 marks the National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) second annual Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, a national campaign to educate young drivers and the public about the dangers of driving while sleepy.
Car accidents are the number one killer of American teenagers - more than 5600 teens were killed in car accidents in 2005. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that the fatality rate for teen drivers is four times higher than for drivers aged 25-69. Sleep-related crashes are most common in young people, who tend to stay up late, sleep too little, and drive at night. In fact, 55% of all crashes in which the driver fell asleep involved drivers 25 or younger. Dr. Meir H. Kryger, Chairman of NSF's Board of Directors believes, "Teens are among the most sleep deprived members of society. Combining sleepiness with inexperience behind the wheel can be deadly. Most teens and parents are aware of the dangers of driving while intoxicated, but many do not realize that drowsiness can have a similar or worse effect on driving performance."
Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time and impairs judmgent. Indeed, 17 hours of sustained wakefulness produces performance impairment equal to 0.05% BAC; after 24 hours, impairment is equal to 0.10% BAC. Unlike alcohol, however, a person who falls asleep while driving has no control of the vehicle and cannot take measures to avoid a crash. Approximately 11 million drivers admit they have had a crash or a near crash because they dozed off or were too tired to drive. According to the NHTSA, drowsy driving crashes result in at least 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses each year.
NSF recommends the following tips to avoid drowsiness while driving:
*Get adequate sleep before you drive.
*Allow time for breaks on long trips - about every 100 miles or two hours.
*Use the buddy system - ask your passenger to stay awake during the drive, to help keep you awake and to share the driving responsibilities.
*Don't drink alcohol and be aware of the potential side effects of any medications you might be taking - some cause drowsiness.
*Consume caffeine - the equivalent of two cups of coffee can increase alertness for several hours, but should not be relied upon to overcome sleep deprivation.
*If sleepiness sets in while driving, prevent a crash by pulling over to find a safe place to take a nap or sleep for the night.
At The Law Offices of Jeffrey Kroll, we have extensive experience in litigating personal injury claims for people who have been injured in car accidents. If you are in need of an attorney, please contact us.
