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Drowsy Driving Is A Concern In Westchester

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- Falling asleep at the wheel can have dangerous and possibly fatal consequences.

Drowsy driving can have fatal consequences.

Drowsy driving can have fatal consequences.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of AAA

In June, Peekskill comedian James McNair was killed in a car accident that also injured Tracy Morgan, The accident occured when a truck crashed into Morgan's limousine on the New Jersey Turnpike. Police say the truck driver dozed off.

Westchester residents have also been charged with driving while Intoxicated after police spotted them alseep at the wheel. 

Kieran O'Leary, public information director for the Westchester County Police Department said drowsy driving is an ongoing issue in Westchester.

"Driving fatigued can have the same impact as driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol," O'Leary said. 

According to a study done by AAA, one in six fatal crashes and one in eight crashes resulting in hospitalization were the results of drowsy driving.

Younger drivers age 16-24 were nearly twice as likely to be involved in a drowsy driving crash as drivers age 40-59. Two out of three drivers involved in a drowsy driving crash were men.                                                  

Vehicles in which the driver was accompanied by a passenger were nearly 50 percent less likely to be involved in a drowsy driving related crash.

O'Leary said police have seen accidents, some fatal, caused by drowsy driving.

"You see no skidmarks on the road," O'Leary said. "That's a telltale sign. It's the worst consequence of falling asleep at the wheel. It's a real concern for us. People think it won't happen to them but it can."

About 57 percent of drowsy driving crashes involved the driver drifting into other lanes or even off the road. One in four drivers said they had driven while they had a hard time keeping their eyes open in the past month.

More than half of drivers who said they fell asleep said it occurred on a high speed highway, 59 percent of drivers who had fall asleep said they had been driving for less than an hour.

Drivers age 24 and younger were most likely to report having fallen asleep in the past year, but they were least likely to report having ever fallen asleep. This is consistent with other studies that have found younger drivers to have a higher risk of falling asleep at the wheel.

 

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