What You Need to Know About Drowsy and Distracted Driving, Adult
Drowsy driving is when you feel sleepy and tired while driving. This makes you less alert, slower to react, and more likely to make bad decisions while driving. Falling asleep at the wheel can cause you to drift off the road at high speed, and puts you, your passengers, and people in other vehicles in great danger.
Distracted driving is when you do another activity while driving, which can cause you to lose focus on driving safely. Distractions such as eating, drinking, or using a cell phone may cause you to take your eyes off the road or your hands of the wheel.
WHAT TYPES OF LIFESTYLE CHANGES CAN I MAKE TO AVOID DROWSY DRIVING?
• Get 7‒8 hours of sleep every night. If you have trouble sleeping, see your
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If you do not make these changes, you will have an increased risk for an accident. You may injure yourself or others. Injury may result in hospitalization, missing work, long-term disability, or even death. If you use your phone while driving, you may be breaking the law and may face legal consequences.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: www.nhtsa.gov/Driving-Safety/Drowsy-Driving/Research-on-Drowsy-Driving
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration & U.S. Department of Transportation: www.distraction.gov
REMEMBER:
• Drowsy and distracted driving cause thousands of accidents each year. Many of these accidents are fatal.
• Drowsy driving is most common among people who do not get enough sleep, and happens most often after midnight and in the late afternoon.
• Distracted driving is most common among young drivers.
• Pay attention to warning signs like yawning, drifting out of your lane, missing an exit, or hitting the rumble strip on the side of the road.
• Do not eat, drink, text, e-mail, or talk on a phone while driving.
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