Wake Up and Drive

While much has been made in recent months about the dangers of distracted driving, it seems one out of every 24 motorists admit to the ultimate distraction - falling asleep behind the wheel. That’s according to a recent survey of 147,000 adults conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Even if they don’t actually nod off, drowsiness makes motorists less attentive, slows their reaction times and affects their ability to make decisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 2.5 percent of fatal crashes and 2 percent of injury crashes involve drowsy driving. The CDC found that men ages 25 to 34 and those who average less than six hours of sleep at night were most likely to doze while driving. Also at risk are commercial drivers and night-shift workers. Prevention is as simple as getting a good night’s sleep, avoiding alcohol and sedating medications before taking the wheel.