FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- During a morning commute in June, a Toyota Landcruiser crashed on U.S. 29. According to the News and Record, the driver told state police he fell asleep while driving.
The driver was less than one mile from his destination when he fell asleep after being on the road all night.
Drowsy driving kills more than 1,550 people a year in the U.S. and causes 71,000 injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which estimates there are 100,000 sleep-related crashes a year.
Brig. Gen. Dennis Rogers, director, National Capital Region District, said that many Soldiers will be traveling during the summer and holidays, and may be driving long distances.
"Don't try to drive to New Mexico and back on four days of leave. Please take extra time to allow for breaks every couple of hours. If you need a week to get there and back, take that leave," Rogers said.
According to Auto Accidents, a site that tracks accident information across the country, in 2001 a man was traveling on Dulles Toll Road between 70 and 75 miles per hour. After being up all night, he fell asleep, hitting the Jersey barrier head on. The car flipped three to five times.
The injuries he sustained were a broken sternum, broken ribs, a broken bone above his front top teeth, missing and broken teeth, a concussion and air bag burns.
Although studies have found the condition to be nearly impossible to fight off without a caffeinated beverage or a nap, a surprising number of people are not aware of the dangers.
"A lot of people roll down the window and turn on the radio when they get tired," said Darrel Drobnich, a spokesman for the National Sleep Foundation. "That's like saying, 'if I'm hungry, if I roll down the window, I won't be hungry.'"
Additionally, NHTSA research shows that there is a problem with drivers and passengers not buckling up at night when the risk of a fatal crash is even greater.
The Army lost 74 Soldiers in Fiscal Year 2008 to both day and night auto accidents. Of those drivers and passengers, 15 percent were reported as not wearing their seat belts.
According to the NSF, 60 percent of drivers have driven while drowsy in the past year, and 20 percent, or about 32 million people, admit to having fallen asleep behind the wheel.
The U.S. Army Combat Readiness and Safety Center reminded Soldiers that watching out for your buddies, even when you aren't on duty, is still part of the job description of friend. If you notice your friend not wearing a seatbelt or appearing tired at the wheel, say something. Don't become a statistic.
For the newest studies and reports, traffic safety, recalls, laws and regulations please go to http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/.
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