Drowsy Driving Prevention Press Conference

ALBANY, NY (11/11/2008)(readMedia)-- WHAT: DROWSY DRIVING PREVENTION PRESS CONFERENCE

To Mark National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, Nov. 10-16, 2008

WHEN: November 12, 2008

10:00 a.m.

WHERE: NYS Motor Truck Association Headquarters

828 Washington Avenue

Albany, New York

WHO: David J. Swarts, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles

Dr. Bilal Chaudhry, Clinical Director, Capital Region Sleep/Wake Disorder Center

David May, a long-haul trucker with Con-way Freight who has driven more than 1.5 million accident-free miles in his 28-year career.

Cindy O'Connor, whose 15-year-old son, Kevin, was killed in 2002 by an on-duty school bus driver who fell asleep at the wheel.

NOTES: November 10-16 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, a national campaign aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of drowsy driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy drivers cause at least 100,000 crashes per year, resulting in more than 1,500 deaths and 71,000 injuries. A recent report by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) confirmed that motor vehicle crashes caused by drowsy driving continue to be under-reported due to the lack of uniformity in crash reporting among states. In NSF annual surveys, half of adult Americans report they have driven while drowsy and approximately 20 percent admit they have fallen asleep behind the wheel during the previous year.

CONTACT: DMV Communications: 518-473-7000

THE MEDIA IS WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND

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