November 5th through 11th, 2023 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
The National Sleep Foundation has launched Drowsy Driving Prevention week as an educational campaign designed to save lives by increasing awareness of the dangers of driving while sleepy. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving causes at least 100,000 police-reported crashes and kills more than 1,550 Americans each year. It is curious that all states have laws in place to enforce drunken driving, but few have laws to cite a driver who has fallen asleep causing an accident. Only the state of New Jersey explicitly defines drowsy driving as recklessness under a vehicular homicide statute. Known as "Maggie's Law," New Jersey's drowsy driving law has served to raise awareness of the consequences of fatigue behind the wheel and has spurred significant action in other states. There are now at least 8 states with 12 pending bills that address fatigued driving in various ways.
For more information on Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, click here
What You Can Do to Stay Alert While Driving
Sleep / Take naps: Your best bet is to get enough sleep every day. If you must stay up late, afternoon naps are a great way to get more sleep. If you feel drowsy while driving, a 15-minute nap can be very effective. Make sure to pull over in a safe place.
Caffeine: Avoid caffeine during the last half of your workday as it may contribute to sleeping problems. You can gain short-term alertness by drinking coffee or other caffeine sources if driving, but it usually takes 30 minutes to take effect and wears off after a few hours.
Regular stops: You should stop every 100 miles or 2 hours. Switch drivers if you can.
AC MAX – Recirculation: Do not operate the vehicle for extended periods of time with the AC on MAX or Recirculation. Under these conditions, the level of C02 in the vehicle is increased contributing to drowsy driving.
Avoid Alcohol: If you have been drinking, please don't drive! In addition to being illegal, alcohol makes you sleepy and amplifies your fatigue.
If you are planning a long trip, AAA offers the following tips for avoiding fatigue:
- Prepare for your trip by getting a good night's sleep the night before. Plan to drive during the time that you are normally awake and stay overnight rather than traveling straight through.
- Avoid driving during the body's "downtime". According to AAA, this is generally in the mid-afternoon and between midnight and 6:00 a.m.
- If you have passengers, talk to them. It will help to keep you alert, and they will also be able to tell if you are showing signs of getting sleepy.
- Schedule a break every 2 hours or every 100 miles. Take a nap, stretch, take a walk and get some exercise before resuming your trip.
- Stop sooner if you show any dangerous signs of sleepiness.
"TRICKS" THAT DO NOT WORK
Opening the window, turning on the air conditioning, or playing loud music is not effective in keeping drivers alert for an extended period.
Halloween Driving “Tricks” to Keep Everyone Safe
To help everyone bring home treats — not tragedies — follow these tips for a safe Halloween:
- Focus on your driving. A single distraction could lead to a tragedy
- Stay well below the posted speed limit
- Pay attention to what's happening on sidewalks and roadways. Watch for children darting across streets, especially between parked cars
- Be extra alert when pulling in and out of driveways
- Do not assume children can see you or are paying attention. You need to take that responsibility.
- Drivers should also check that all lights on their car work
- Do not pass other vehicles that have stopped in the roadway. They could be dropping off children.
- If you're driving a group of children, but staying in the running vehicle at the curb, be sure to put on your hazard lights to alert other motorists
- And if you're driving to a Halloween party, put that mask on after you park the car
Parents can help motorists, too:
- Make sure drivers can see the children. Give them flashlights and glow sticks. Dress kids in bright, reflective clothing or use reflective tape on their costumes
- Use makeup, rather than masks, so children have a clear, unobstructed view of their surroundings
- Be sure children know how to cross a street -- look left, right, and left again before crossing
- Instruct children to stay on sidewalks and to cross only at corners or crosswalks
- Accompany your children as they trick or treat
Safely getting in or out of a Commercial Motor Vehicle… 3 Point Rule
Now is a good time to remind drivers to follow the 3 Point rule while getting in and out of their trucks. During the winter months footing conditions are compromised and the chance of slipping or falling is increased. The 3 Point rule is simply that you keep three out of four of your contact points (hands and feet) secured to keep from slipping or falling. When exiting a truck, for example, one hand on the cab handle, one hand gripping interior door handle and one foot on a step while the other foot is in transition, by doing this you always maintain three points of contact.
CVSA Releases Results of Operation Safe Driver Week
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has released the results of its Operation Safe Driver Week traffic-enforcement and safe-driving awareness and educational initiative held July 10 to 16, 2023.
State and provincial officers in the U.S. and Canada issued 4,494 tickets/citations and 5,756 warnings to drivers – commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers combined.
A total of 4,592 warnings and 2,634 tickets/citations were given to commercial motor vehicle drivers, and officers issued 1,164 warnings and 1,860 tickets/citations to passenger vehicle drivers.
Speeding, the focus area for this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week, was a top infraction for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers. Commercial motor vehicle drivers received 1,575 warnings and 715 tickets/citations, and passenger vehicle drivers received 625 warnings and 1,293 citations/tickets for speed-related infractions. Combined, a total of 2,219 warnings and 2,024 citations/tickets were issued for speeding.
CVSA asserts that speeding accounts for nearly one-third of all fatalities on roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding-related fatalities increased 8% from 2020 to 2021, with 12,330 people killed in 2021 in speeding-related crashes, representing 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2021. Additionally, Transport Canada states that speeding/driving too fast accounted for 25.3% of all fatal roadway crashes in Canada in 2020.
