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 Drowsy
Driving, How big is the problem?
"a national problem...One in four Americans didn't
get enough sleep last night."
-- Wake Up America: A National Sleep Alert
Report of the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research.
In
every state, 40-60% of all traffic accidents with determined
causes are a direct or partial result of drift-off. Nationwide,
drift-off is the number one factor in both non-alcohol and
alcohol-related highway accidents (SOURCE: NHTSA and state
DOT reports).
The
annual costs of motor vehicle accidents in the United States
are staggering. Just in accidents involving an injury or
fatality, the costs rose to nearly $170 billion annually
in 1993. And these costs do not account for the loss in
quality of life for such accidents.
- One-third
of motorists have fallen asleep behind the wheel.
-
12% of motorists who have fallen asleep have had an accident
as a result.
- Over
half of American motorists drive when they are too tired
to get behind the wheel.
- 23%
percent of adults know someone who experienced a fall-asleep
crash within the past year.
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