Media Advisory

ALBANY, NY (11/02/2007)(readMedia)-- --

WHAT: Campaign against drowsy driving and National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week kickoff
WHEN: Friday, November 2, 2007, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: New Baltimore Travel Plaza, NYS Thruway Southbound between Exits 21A and 21B
WHO: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee
New York State Thruway Authority
New York State Department of Health
New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Police
New York State Association of Police Chiefs
New York State Sheriff’s Association
CONTACT: (DMV) 518-473-7000

This weekend marks the end of Daylight Savings Time and the coming of National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week.

Drowsy driving can occur whenever there is a time change. But it is a major problem on our highways year round. Drowsy driving ranges from falling asleep at the wheel to simply not paying close attention to driving because of fatigue or lack of sleep.

In 2006, more than 4,100 crashes in New York State had “Fell Asleep” or “Fatigued/Drowsy” as contributing factors in police reported crashes. Of those crashes, 31 were fatal and more than 2,500 resulted in personal injury.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year across the country. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. These figures may be the tip of the iceberg, since currently it is difficult to attribute crashes to sleepiness.

National Driving Drowsy Prevention Week (Nov. 5-11) is designed to increase awareness of the problems associated with drowsy driving and the measures that can be taken to prevent it from occurring. THE MEDIA IS ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THIS EVENT

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