SATURDAY, May 24, 2008 (HealthDay News) -- Drowsy driving is one of the reasons why the Memorial Day weekend is one of the deadliest times on American roads, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
"Too many Americans are too tired to drive. In fact, according to NSF's recently released 2008 Sleep in America poll, an alarming 36 percent of respondents admit to actually nodding off or falling asleep while driving," David M. Cloud, NSF's chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement.
"Hectic weekend getaways may add to the problem as many get on the road at ungodly hours to beat traffic. Not getting enough sleep puts everyone at increased risk for fall-asleep crashes. Understanding crucial warning signs and countermeasures is key to preventing sleep-related crashes," Cloud added.
Being sleepy slows reaction times, impairs vision, delays information processing and causes lapses in judgment -- all of which reduce driving safety.
There are a number of warning signs that you're too tired to continue driving and need to find a safe place to pull over. The signs include:
The NSF offers the following drowsy-free driving tips to help you arrive safely at your destination:
More information
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more about traffic safety.