Have you ever fallen asleep while driving?
The released study from the CDC showed that about four percent of U.S. adults nodded off or fell asleep while driving at least once in the past month. Health officials feel that the number is actually much higher because some individuals do not realize they are dozing off. It makes you a little nervous to be sharing the road with these drivers.
The study showed that the drowsy driving was seen more in men, ages 25-34, in people who got six hours of sleeping or less in a night. Dr. Gregory Belenky, director of Washington State University’s Sleep and Performance Research Center in Spokane stated, “A lot of people are getting insufficient sleep.” Some studies have shown that between 3-33% of fatal crashes are caused from drowsy driving.
Some of the warning signs of being too tired while driving include being very tired, not remembering what you had passed in the last mile, and drifting into lanes or on the side rumble strips on the road.
There are ways to protect you from nodding or dozing off while driving.
1. If feeling tired, you should pull off of the road and rest.
2. Get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
3. Do not drink before getting behind the wheel.
4. Have any sleep disorders treated.
For more related studies visit the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr