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Clocks move forward, so does bill to prevent drowsy driving |
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Senator Moore calls attention to link between drowsiness and auto accidents |
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April 1, 2005 - This weekend, as we move our clocks ahead for Daylight Savings, many people will loose another hour’s sleep. Combined with the fact that most people don’t get enough sleep throughout the year, the loss of an additional hour dramatically heightens the chances of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. Results from the 2005 Sleep in America poll published by the National Sleep Foundation indicate that 60% of America’s adults who drive or have a license report that, within the past year, they have driven a car or motor vehicle when feeling drowsy. This is a significant increase compared to results from recent years (51% in 2000, 53% in 2001, and 51% in 2002). Four percent of the respondents to the survey who drive have had an accident (or near miss) in the past year because of dozing off or being too tired while driving. Among these respondents 29% report having had an accident or near accident at least once a month in the past year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. In a study being released last week, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) concludes that medical residents—who routinely work very long shifts—are more likely to be involved in auto accidents or near misses due to fatigue. Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge), the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, held an informational briefing on drowsy driving for area law enforcement officials Friday at Sleep Source, a local mattress retailer located in the Price Chopper Plaza in Webster. Senator Moore is the lead sponsor of legislation aimed at making drivers more aware of the dangers of drowsy driving through driver education and will require police to learn how to recognize the sleep-deprived driver. “The number of traffic fatalities caused by drowsy drivers is staggering,” said Senator Moore, “this is a public safety issue that we can address by acknowledging the problem, educating people about it and giving our law enforcement officers the tools to prevent it.” The bill also calls for studies to measure and test when a driver poses a danger to himself or others so that drowsy driving could be subject to penalties for acting irresponsibly, and increases the penalties for vehicular homicide resulting from drowsy driving. |
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