Let’s talk about drowsy driving in June

Nobody is immune to the danger of falling asleep at the wheel. You can be the driver who fall asleep (such as the nurse after a 16-hr night shift, a police officer working graveyard, a teen going to school early for sports practice, or a sleep-deprived new dad), or you can be the victim when an oncoming car drifts in your direction because the driver has fallen asleep.

SHC recently raised the spectre of drowsy driving in a post over the holiday. And SHC remains firm on its initiative: to remind, educate, and help to prevent this devastating and avoidable public safety problem.

Anyone can fall asleep at the wheel

Drowsy driving is just as dangerous as driving while under the influence or distracted driving (such as texting while driving). SHC would wager it is probably even more dangerous because people who are sleep deprived lack the judgment necessary to know when they’ve had too much to drink or to know that texting while driving is never safe.

In addition, people who are sleep deprived and then consume minimum alcohol are more likely to experience the poor motor skills and reflexes of a legally impaired drunk driver.

Buckle up in June, it’s going to be a bumpy ride, but the message SHC delivers may be the one that saves a life.

—The Curator