Most Condemn Sleepy Driving But Some Admit It [AUDIO]

A new study of drowsy driving is an eye opener! Most of us admit it's unaccepable, but many do it anyway.

The survey from the Triple-A Foundation for Traffic Safety found 96 percent find drowsy driving unacceptable. But one in three in the survey admit to having driven in a drowsy state in the past month.

Recent AAA Foundation research on drowsy driving found that two out of every five drivers (41 percent) admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel at some point, with one in 10 saying they had done so in the past year. "What's so alarming is that over half of these drivers reported having fallen asleep while driving on high speed roads," said AAA's Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research Jake Nelson. "These data underscore the importance of educating drivers about the dangers of drowsy driving."

Foundation President Peter Kissinger says unfortunately, many, many drivers simply underestimate the risk associated with drowsy driving, and at the same time, they seem to overestimate their ability to deal with it.

"It is shocking to consider that nearly a third of drivers admit to operating a vehicle in the last month while drowsy," said David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation. "We applaud AAA's work to call attention toward this important public safety issue."

Kissinger says there seems to be a, 'do as i say, not as i do' attitude among too many members of the driving public. Results of the Triple-A Foundation survey were released to raise awareness of the problem during this, "Drowsy Driving Prevention Week."

Warning Signs and Safety Tips:

Warning signs of sleepiness include, but are not limited to:

*Having difficulty keeping your eyes open and focused, and/or having heavy eyelids

*Difficulty keeping your head up

*Drifting from your lane, swerving, tailgating, and/or hitting rumble strips

*Inability to clearly remember the last few miles driven

*Missing traffic signs or driving past your intended exit

*Yawning repeatedly and rubbing your eyes

*Feeling irritable or restless

AAA offers these tips to remain alert and prevent falling asleep:

*Get plenty of sleep (at least seven hours) the night before a long trip

*Stop driving if you become sleepy; someone who is tired could fall asleep at any time - fatigue impacts reaction time, judgment and vision, causing people who are very sleepy to behave in similar ways to those who are drunk

*Travel at times when you are normally awake, and stay overnight rather than driving straight through

*Schedule a break every two hours or every 100 miles

*Drink a caffeinated beverage. Since it takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream, find a safe place to take a 20]30 minute nap while you're waiting for the caffeine to take effect

*Travel with an awake passenger