Wednesday 12 November 2014

Drowsy Driving Causes 5, 000 to 6,000 Fatalities Annually

Drowsy Driving Causes 5,000 to 6,000
Fatalities Annually
 
CDC Report

An article published by the The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) titled "Drowsy Driving: Asleep At The Wheel" estimates that "2.5% of fatal crashes and 2% of injury crashes in the United States involved drowsy driving".  If this were converted into absolute number it would mean  that between 5,000 to 6,000 fatal crashes each year could be attributed to individuals driving while very tired.

The article suggests that driving while in a state of drowsiness makes drives less attentive; it slows driver's reaction time' and it affects a driver's ability to make decisions.

The article also suggests that when it comes to what types of drives are more likely to drive while drowsy that it is the commercial truck driver who tops the list. They are then followed by: shift workers; drivers with untreated sleep disorders; drivers who are using sedating medications; and  drivers who do not get adequate sleep.

According to the CDC those adults who slept 6 hours or less per day were more likely to report a 'state of drowsiness" than those who got between 7 or 8 hours per day.
 
To prevent drowsy driving the CDC recommends the following: getting enough sleep (adults 7 or 8 hours a day, adolescents 9 or 10 hours a day); If you have a sleep disorder make sure you get treatment; refrain from drinking alcohol or taking sedating medications before driving. 

According to experts some of the waring signs of drowsy driving are: yawing or blinking frequently; Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven; Missing your exit; Drifting from your lane: Hitting a rumble strip.

 

 About Smart Lite


60% of all truck accidents are directly contributed to the front end blind spot of commercial trucks. In North America alone over 5,000 deaths and 140,000 injuries occur annually. At Smart Lite we believe that those statistics are far too high.

What is Smart Lite? Smart Lite is designed to reduce crashes, to save lives and to reduce injuries. The system was designed by Xlite Enterprises Inc. of Vancouver, Canada by Marty Vanderhoek, a professional commercial truck driver with over 20 years experience in the industry. It is a simple, yet unique design that utilises simple mirror to mirror technology to completely expose the entire front end area of the truck to the driver from inside the cab. As a result. the device offers the driver a clear and unrestricted view of any vehicle, motorcycle, cyclist or pedestrian that could be in the front or blind spots or no zone area of the truck.

No high tech cameras, mirrors or unreliable beeper systems. With Smart Lite the driver instantly sees whatever is in the front and blind spot areas of the truck by a split second glance into the West Coast mirror. For more information on the Smart Lite system please visit our web page or contact us at info@xlite.ca


" A Breakthrough In Commercial Truck Safety That Will Save Lives "


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