Sleepy eyed and half awake, I was on the road in pitch darkness just to get a jump on commuter traffics to get to work. Some days, I did not know how I made it to work. Some days, I had to take naps in the car just to get through rest of the workday.
I was guilty of drowsy driving from sleep deprivation. And I was not alone. 37% (or 103 million people) surveyed by the National Sleep Foundation admitted to have actually fallen asleep at the wheel!
I was very concerned about my safety on the road as well as others’. In fact it weighed heavily in my decision to retire earlier this month. I did not want to end up in statistics like the one below:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.
With great relief, I am happy to report that I am no longer sleep deprived and have been getting plenty of sleep lately.
Please Drive Alert, Arrive Alive.
