The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging drivers to ensure they aren't dozing off at the wheel, while warning others to be aware of sleepy drivers. With a lot of people traveling during the July 4th weekend, safety is important.
The CDC released their latest drowsy report on Thursday, documenting the percentage of sleepy drivers and also providing tips on how to stay awake at the wheel and avoiding such a situation. In a survey of 10 states and Puerto Rico, the government agency found that 4% of adult respondents reported having fallen asleep at the wheel in the past month.
The survey consisted of over 92,000 respondents from the 2011-2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. Similarly, the 2009-2010 survey included 19 states and the District of Columbia, with 4.2% of adult respondents reporting the same sleepy behavior. 25% of annual motor vehicle accidents are a result of drowsy driving.
The suggestions and precautionary measures the CDC noted are as basic as they get: don't consume alcohol or other sedatives before driving, get enough sleep the night before, take breaks with naps, coffee breaks, or even switching drivers if possible, avoid driving very late at night or early in the morning, and if you begin to experience feelings of sleepiness, pull over.
It's estimated that 41 million Americans will be traveling at least 50 miles this weekend, with 85% by means of a car. The respondents in the survey were asked, "During the past 30 days, have you ever nodded off or fallen asleep, even just for a brief moment, while driving?" according to the CDC weekly release. They also asked how much sleep each respondent averaged per night, and those who averaged six hours or less were more likely to be drowsy drivers.
"Falling asleep while driving is clearly dangerous, but drowsiness also impairs the ability to drive safely even if drivers do not fall asleep," the authors noted in the report. "Studies have observed that drowsy drivers take longer to react, are less attentive to their environment, and have impaired decision-making skills, all of which can contribute to vehicle crashes."
Such accidents are completely avoidable and if people are more aware of their drowsiness it will save lives and medical costs throughout the country.
You can read more about the CDC's drowsy report in this Yahoo! News article.
