Saying Awake Behind the Wheel

Wake up! According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga., drowsy driving is responsible for between 15-33 percent of all fatal crashes in the U.S. A recent survey conducted by marketing research firm DMEautomotive in Daytona Beach, Fla., found that sleepy drivers are mostly relying on quick-fix remedies instead of the only sure solutions, namely letting a rested driver take over or pulling over and taking a nap. “Most of us do ineffective things like stopping for that third triple-shot cappuccino or slapping water on our face just to keep going,” says Mary Sheridan, DMEautomotive’s director of research and analytics. Here’s what drivers in the firm’s survey of 2,000 car owners said they do to fight drowsiness: - Jim Gorzelany 1. Drink a caffeinated beverage, 58.70% 2. Switch drivers, 44.50% 3. Listen to loud music, 42.50% 4. Open a window or sun roof, 39.30% 5. Eat, 33.00% 6. Sing, 31.70% 7. Turn up the A/C, 29.20% 8. Pull over and exercise/stretch, 26.60% 9. Pull over and nap, 19.00% 10. Talk to self, 15.40% 11. Slap yourself, 13.10% 12. Listen to talk radio, 12.20% 13. Exercise or stretch in the car, 12.10% 14. Smoke, 11.80% 15. Splash water on face or neck, 9.00%