Organizers of Drowsy Driver Awareness Day warned Monday that driving while tired can be deadly and urged motorists to get adequate sleep before getting behind the wheel.
They said recent surveys show the average adult now sleeps fewer than seven hours a night, compared with about nine hours in 1910. Organizers said the decline in sleep harms both health and road safety.
Organizers told drivers that sleep is not voluntary and that people who are tired can fall asleep without realizing it. They said that kind of microsleep can occur while driving and significantly increases crash risk.
They urged drivers to allow themselves enough rest each day so they are alert on the road and to heed public safety guidance aimed at reducing drowsy driving.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
