When you drive, you take responsibility for your safety and the safety of others on the road.


The Facts
According to recent studies, more than half of American drivers have driven while drowsy and 20-30% have fallen asleep at the wheel. Many also report that when drowsy they drive faster, lose patience, and become stressed. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) conservatively estimates that 100,000 crashes each year are caused by sleepy drivers, resulting in more than 1,500 deaths and 71,000 injuries.

Sleeping and driving don’t mix
When you are behind the wheel of a car, being sleepy is dangerous. Sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, and impairs judgment-just like drugs or alcohol. And, like drugs and alcohol, sleepiness can contribute to a collision. Most people know how dangerous drinking and driving is-driving drowsy can be just as fatal as driving drunk.

Many people cannot tell if or when they are going to fall asleep. Here are a few ways to tell if you're about to fall asleep. If you experience any of these danger signs, take them as a warning that you could fall asleep without meaning to.

•  Difficulty focusing or keeping your eyes open

•  Trouble keeping your head up

•  Yawning repeatedly

• Wandering, disconnected thoughts or daydreaming

•  Trouble remembering the last few miles driven

•  Drifting from your lane or hitting a shoulder rumble strip

•  Tailgating

•  Missing traffic signs or exits