10-22-14 drowsy drivers

An estimated six thousand fatal crashes each year can be attributed to drowsy driving and for the first time Tuesday the National Transportation Safety Board held a forum on the issue and how it affects Americans behind the wheel.  According to AAA, 83 percent of Americans believe drowsy drivers pose a threat to their personal safety.  Wisconsin AAA spokesman Nick Jarmuscz tells WFDL news the study found 41 percent of motorists report falling asleep or nodding off while driving at least once in their lifetime.  “Its easy for law enforcement to determine if the person was intoxicated, to determine of distraction is the culprit.  Its very difficult to quantify how many crashes are caused by drowsiness because there’s really no physical evidence,”  Jarmuscz said.    Fond du Lac County sheriff’s captain Rick Olig says he is pleased the NSTB us trying to get to the root of the problem to prevent more fatalities.  “I think it happens a lot more than people would even imagine,”  Olig told AM 1170 WFDL’s Between the Lines program.  The NTSB said even just two hours less sleep than you need in one night can potentially impair your diriving the next day.

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