Officials remind motorists of dangers of drowsy driving

CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. >> With Daylight Saving Time coming to an end, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) are urging motorists to be aware of the dangers of drowsy driving.

Daylight Saving Time ended at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 4. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) uses the occasion to begin its Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, November 4 to 11.

“Drowsiness and fatigue are contributing factors in thousands of crashes every year on our highways and cause far too many preventable deaths and injuries,” said DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner and Acting GTSC Chair Terri Egan in a news release. “We urge all motorists to be aware of the warning signs of drowsiness, particularly as we adjust to standard time, and take the appropriate steps to ensure that they never drive while drowsy.”

In 2017, according to statistics from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), “fatigue/drowsy driving” and/or “driver fell asleep” were listed 5,004 times as contributing factors on police crash reports statewide. So far in 2018, according to preliminary figures from ITSMR, those same factors have been listed 3,091 times on police crash reports statewide.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that each year 100,000 crashes are reported to police nationally in which drowsy driving or driver fatigue is cited as a contributing factor. NHTSA estimates that those crashes result in 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries.

To increase awareness of this issue, the New York State Partnership Against Drowsy Driving (NYPDD) is promoting a “Stay Awake, Stay Alive” message during Drowsy Driving Prevention Week.

New York State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Paul A. Karas said in the release, “Protecting the public’s safety is always the top priority of the Department of Transportation and we urge all motorists to be aware of the warning signs of drowsy driving and pull over if they do not feel alert enough to drive safely. Staying awake and alert behind the wheel is critical to ensuring the safety of all motorists and avoiding tragedies on New York’s roadways.”