Foundation sounding the alarm at the number of sleepy drivers

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — One in five motorists admits to having fallen asleep at the wheel in the past year, says the National Sleep Foundation, which is trying to get drowsy drivers off the road.

"I think in our society we are quite used to denying our tiredness," said director Richard Gelula, whose organization commissioned a study. "We believe that sleep is something that we can cheat on."

Studies show that drowsy drivers have slower reaction times; impaired judgment and vision; increased moodiness and aggressive behavior; and more difficulty following road signs.

"It’s a form of impaired driving, really," said Judith Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. "It’s in the same kind of category as drunken driving."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates drowsy drivers cause 100,000 crashes each year, which result in more than 1,500 deaths and 71,000 injuries. By comparison, 16,653 people were killed last year in alcohol-related crashes.

The foundation survey found that half the respondents admitted they drove when they were tired during the last year, and 20 percent said they had fallen asleep at the wheel.

Men were more apt to drive while drowsy, 59 percent to 47 percent for women, with men aged 18 to 29 most likely to drive drowsy, at 65 percent.

Gelula said the coalition wants to see the issue addressed in driver’s education classes and on driving tests. They also want law enforcers to document better the role drowsiness plays in accidents and for employers to do more to stop tired drivers from getting behind the wheel.

Only 4 percent of all people polled said they drive to work feeling drowsy almost every day, but more than one-third of late-shift workers said they drove in that condition.

"The only solution to drowsy driving is to get some sleep," said David Willis, president of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "If you feel sleepy, pull over and take a nap."

The telephone poll of 1,004 adults was conducted by WB&A Market Research and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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