The Perils of Driving While Drowsy According to studies reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety administration (2003), drowsiness is blamed for at least 100,000 traffic accidents each year, causing more than 70,000 injuries—and 1,500 deaths. While many people in the United States get by with too little sleep, one group is especially prone to the effects of sleepiness behind the wheel—adult males aged 25 or younger. Young male drivers have the highest number of traffic accidents that can be attributed to drowsiness (National Sleep Foundation, 2000).

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