45% of Americans admit driving while they’re drowsy

Nearly half of American adults — 45% — say they have driven while struggling to keep their eyes open and focused on the road ahead.

That finding, from a September survey of 2,003 people by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, supports the organization’s belief that drowsy driving is a serious public health concern.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a nonprofit research and education organization, estimates that more than 300,000 accidents a year, including 6,400 fatal accidents, stem from drowsy driving.

A “naturalistic driving study” used in-vehicle cameras and other data collection equipment to monitor 3,593 drivers for several months. Last year, the foundation released data from the study showing that driver drowsiness caused about 10 percent of all vehicle crashes.

Sleep and safety experts say that drinking caffeinated beverages, turning up the radio or cooling the vehicle by opening windows or upping the air conditioning may help temporarily, but pulling off the road to take a break is a much safer response.