(Albany, NY - March 25, 2005) -- Raymond P. Martinez, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) joins safety and health leaders to form New York's Partnership on Drowsy Driving (NYPDD) to urge motorists to "Wake Up to the Dangers of Drowsy Driving – You Snooze, You Lose." Joining Commissioner Martinez in reminding New Yorkers about this important traffic safety message are: Wayne E. Bennett, Superintendent of the New York State Police; Dr. Antonia C. Novello, Commissioner of New York State Department of Health; Michael Fleischer, Executive Director of the New York State Thruway Authority; and Joseph H. Boardman, Commissioner of New York State Department of Transportation.

With National Sleep Awareness Week being March 28 – April 3 and with the April 3 change to Daylight Savings Time, when people "lose" an hour of precious sleep, motorists across the state are reminded that driving drowsy can result in serious consequences, especially on the highway.

"All drivers are at risk of drowsy driving, which can be as dangerous as driving drunk," said DMV Commissioner Martinez.  "Just as drugs or alcohol can impair driver performance, drowsiness can slow reaction time, impair judgment and increase the risk of a crash." Commissioner Martinez continued, "Getting adequate sleep before driving is as important to highway safety and your personal safety as buckling your seat belt."

Drowsy driving ranges from falling asleep at the wheel to simply not paying attention to driving because of fatigue or lack of sleep.  Officials said warning signs include difficulty in keeping your eyes open, repeated yawning, having wandering or disconnected thoughts, drifting from your driving lane, or failure to remember the last few miles driven.

"Most motorists today recognize the dangers of mixing alcohol or drugs with driving a motor vehicle," said New York State Police Superintendent Wayne E. Bennett, "unfortunately, many people fail to recognize the very real danger of getting behind the wheel in a sleep deprived state.  Drowsy driving can be every bit as deadly as driving while impaired with alcohol or drugs."

New York State officials caution drivers to be well rested before travel and not to attempt staying awake by such remedies as opening a window, turning on air conditioning, or playing loud music.  Studies show that another popular choice, consuming caffeine, provides only a short-term benefit in driver alertness.  The key to preventing drowsy driving to is to get adequate rest beforehand, share the driving with a passenger or take a break every two hours or every 100 miles.

"It is important for us all to do our part to help avoid the dangers associated with driving while drowsy," said New York State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr. P.H.  "Maintaining a healthy diet and incorporating exercise into your daily routine helps to promote good quality sleep and will help reduce the number of personal tragedies involving traffic accidents associated with motorists falling asleep or dozing off while driving."

Nationally, falling asleep while driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 40,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities annually according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  NHTSA also notes that drowsy driving crashes happen between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., involving a single vehicle and a sober driver traveling alone, with the car leaving the roadway without any attempt to avoid the crash.

"The Thruway Authority is committed to reducing accidents that are a result of drowsy driving," said Thruway Executive Director Michael Fleischer.  "We have reduced the percentage of fatalities due to drowsy driving by more than fifty percent in the last ten years.  This has been achieved in large part through the installation of Shoulder Treatment for Accident Reduction (STAR) or rumble strips, along the Thruway.  The Authority supports National Sleep Awareness Week and reminds all drivers of the importance of staying alert while driving."

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph H. Boardman said, "I strongly encourage New Yorkers to make sure they are well rested and alert before they venture onto our highways and byways.  Drowsy driving can result in unspeakable and unnecessary tragedy, and it can only be prevented by acting responsibly."

Additional information on drowsy driving is available from the GTSC web site at http://www.safeny.com or New York State Department of Health's website at http://www.nyhealth.gov.