We can drive in any state in America, but should avoid driving in the state of drowsiness.  Drowsiness holds its own when compared to drunkenness and distraction as a cause of motor vehicle accidents.  In fact, drowsy drivers are responsible for as much death, injury and property loss as alcohol-impaired drivers.

That’s why I’ve previously advised every driver to become a DADD — Driver Against Drowsy Driving.

Even without the common result of drowsiness — falling asleep — drowsiness is plenty dangerous when it occurs at a vehicle’s wheel.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing while driving — just like driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or distraction.

If you’ve driven drowsily, you are not alone.  A public survey revealed that 55 percent of those questioned had driven while drowsy in the past year.  Over a lifetime, 23 percent said they had fallen asleep driving but had not crashed, 3 percent had fallen asleep and crashed and 2 percent had crashed when driving while drowsy.  Sadly, many drivers were not alive for the survey.

In the past, I’ve used popular “tricks” when challenged to stay awake at the wheel like opening the windows, slapping my face, singing, et cetera.  But they didn’t always work, as evidenced once when a friend riding in the back seat woke me up by hitting me in the back of the head as he noticed my eyes closing in the rearview mirror.  These days, I prefer the method that works best:  pulling over for a short nap.  I find that 15-20 minutes of closed eyes and rest generally renews my alertness.

As a driving danger, the problem may be worse than evident.  It’s nearly impossible to determine with certainty the cause of a fatal crash where drowsy driving is suspected.  However, there are a number of clues at a crash scene that tell investigators the person may have fallen asleep at the wheel.  For example, drowsy driving accidents usually involve only one vehicle, where the driver is alone and the injuries tend to be serious or fatal.  Also, tire marks showing evidence of evasive maneuvers are usually absent from the drowsy driving crash scene.

Although he or she may avoid falling asleep, real danger still looms for that drowsy driver.  Besides impaired reaction time, vision, and attentiveness, increased moodiness and aggressive behavior are results of sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation is the most common cause of drowsiness.  And that does not necessarily mean just one night short of sleep; it can be a cumulative effect of partial sleep deprivation (getting less than the recommended 8 hours of restful sleep per night).

Pull over for some coffee and/or a nap if you experience any of these signs of drowsiness:  can’t remember the last few miles of driving; drift from your lane or hit the rumble strips; excessive yawing; can’t focus vision or keep eyes open; miss traffic signs;  or catch yourself “nodding off” and have trouble keeping your head up.

The problem is real — that’s why we have those rumble strips (and they work pretty well).  Auto manufacturers are also developing alert systems for sleepy drivers, signaling them via a buzz or vibration when nodding off is detected.  Still, the best defense against the ills of drowsy driving is to take a proper rest before taking the wheel.

Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.

We can drive in any state in America, but should avoid driving in the state of drowsiness.  Drowsiness holds its own when compared to drunkenness and distraction as a cause of motor vehicle accidents.  In fact, drowsy drivers are responsible for as much death, injury and property loss as alcohol-impaired drivers.

That’s why I’ve previously advised every driver to become a DADD — Driver Against Drowsy Driving.

Even without the common result of drowsiness — falling asleep — drowsiness is plenty dangerous when it occurs at a vehicle’s wheel.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing while driving — just like driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or distraction.

If you’ve driven drowsily, you are not alone.  A public survey revealed that 55 percent of those questioned had driven while drowsy in the past year.  Over a lifetime, 23 percent said they had fallen asleep driving but had not crashed, 3 percent had fallen asleep and crashed and 2 percent had crashed when driving while drowsy.  Sadly, many drivers were not alive for the survey.

In the past, I’ve used popular “tricks” when challenged to stay awake at the wheel like opening the windows, slapping my face, singing, et cetera.  But they didn’t always work, as evidenced once when a friend riding in the back seat woke me up by hitting me in the back of the head as he noticed my eyes closing in the rearview mirror.  These days, I prefer the method that works best:  pulling over for a short nap.  I find that 15-20 minutes of closed eyes and rest generally renews my alertness.

As a driving danger, the problem may be worse than evident.  It’s nearly impossible to determine with certainty the cause of a fatal crash where drowsy driving is suspected.  However, there are a number of clues at a crash scene that tell investigators the person may have fallen asleep at the wheel.  For example, drowsy driving accidents usually involve only one vehicle, where the driver is alone and the injuries tend to be serious or fatal.  Also, tire marks showing evidence of evasive maneuvers are usually absent from the drowsy driving crash scene.

Although he or she may avoid falling asleep, real danger still looms for that drowsy driver.  Besides impaired reaction time, vision, and attentiveness, increased moodiness and aggressive behavior are results of sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation is the most common cause of drowsiness.  And that does not necessarily mean just one night short of sleep; it can be a cumulative effect of partial sleep deprivation (getting less than the recommended 8 hours of restful sleep per night).

Pull over for some coffee and/or a nap if you experience any of these signs of drowsiness:  can’t remember the last few miles of driving; drift from your lane or hit the rumble strips; excessive yawing; can’t focus vision or keep eyes open; miss traffic signs;  or catch yourself “nodding off” and have trouble keeping your head up.

The problem is real — that’s why we have those rumble strips (and they work pretty well).  Auto manufacturers are also developing alert systems for sleepy drivers, signaling them via a buzz or vibration when nodding off is detected.  Still, the best defense against the ills of drowsy driving is to take a proper rest before taking the wheel.

Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.

We can drive in any state in America, but should avoid driving in the state of drowsiness.  Drowsiness holds its own when compared to drunkenness and distraction as a cause of motor vehicle accidents.  In fact, drowsy drivers are responsible for as much death, injury and property loss as alcohol-impaired drivers.

That’s why I’ve previously advised every driver to become a DADD — Driver Against Drowsy Driving.

Even without the common result of drowsiness — falling asleep — drowsiness is plenty dangerous when it occurs at a vehicle’s wheel.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing while driving — just like driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or distraction.

If you’ve driven drowsily, you are not alone.  A public survey revealed that 55 percent of those questioned had driven while drowsy in the past year.  Over a lifetime, 23 percent said they had fallen asleep driving but had not crashed, 3 percent had fallen asleep and crashed and 2 percent had crashed when driving while drowsy.  Sadly, many drivers were not alive for the survey.

In the past, I’ve used popular “tricks” when challenged to stay awake at the wheel like opening the windows, slapping my face, singing, et cetera.  But they didn’t always work, as evidenced once when a friend riding in the back seat woke me up by hitting me in the back of the head as he noticed my eyes closing in the rearview mirror.  These days, I prefer the method that works best:  pulling over for a short nap.  I find that 15-20 minutes of closed eyes and rest generally renews my alertness.

As a driving danger, the problem may be worse than evident.  It’s nearly impossible to determine with certainty the cause of a fatal crash where drowsy driving is suspected.  However, there are a number of clues at a crash scene that tell investigators the person may have fallen asleep at the wheel.  For example, drowsy driving accidents usually involve only one vehicle, where the driver is alone and the injuries tend to be serious or fatal.  Also, tire marks showing evidence of evasive maneuvers are usually absent from the drowsy driving crash scene.

Although he or she may avoid falling asleep, real danger still looms for that drowsy driver.  Besides impaired reaction time, vision, and attentiveness, increased moodiness and aggressive behavior are results of sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation is the most common cause of drowsiness.  And that does not necessarily mean just one night short of sleep; it can be a cumulative effect of partial sleep deprivation (getting less than the recommended 8 hours of restful sleep per night).

Pull over for some coffee and/or a nap if you experience any of these signs of drowsiness:  can’t remember the last few miles of driving; drift from your lane or hit the rumble strips; excessive yawing; can’t focus vision or keep eyes open; miss traffic signs;  or catch yourself “nodding off” and have trouble keeping your head up.

The problem is real — that’s why we have those rumble strips (and they work pretty well).  Auto manufacturers are also developing alert systems for sleepy drivers, signaling them via a buzz or vibration when nodding off is detected.  Still, the best defense against the ills of drowsy driving is to take a proper rest before taking the wheel.

Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.