America’s Road Team, a group of million-mile accident-free drivers, are taking the opportunity during National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week — today, Nov. 10-Sunday, Nov. 16 — to reach out to the motoring public and talk about the dangers of driving while drowsy. The elite drivers will be talking to motorists around the country to spread the message of safety.
Driving while drowsy is one of the leading causes of vehicular crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 100,000 crashes each year are due to driver fatigue. In addition, drowsy driving crashes annually result in at least 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.
The America’s Road Team would like to remind the motoring public that from driveway to highway, safety requires patience and dedication. “Safe driving requires concentration and focus,” says America’s Road Team Captain Al Adams. “Looking away for even two seconds doubles your likelihood of a crash. If you’re feeling tired, don’t chance it behind the wheel. It’s just not worth the risk.”
According to NHTSA, drowsy driving occurs most often during the late-night, early-morning or mid-afternoon hours. Drowsy driving crashes are likely to be serious, involving a single vehicle leaving the roadway where the driver does not attempt to avoid a crash.
Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, is a far-reaching public awareness campaign developed to educate young drivers, their parents and others about drowsy driving and its prevention. The campaign aims to put drowsy driving in the headlights of parents, young people, teachers, school administrators, employers and the media. For more information, go to www.drowsydriving.org.
The America’s Road Team, sponsored by Volvo Trucks North America, is a national public outreach program led by a small group of professional truck drivers who share superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and a strong desire to spread the word about safety on the highway. For more information, go to www.americasroadteam.com.
