On the alert for drowsy drivers

Drowsy drivers can be as lethal on the road as anyone who takes the wheel after drinking or breaks the speed limit.

The issue of sleepy drivers has always taken a back seat to campaigns against drunk driving and concern over speeding. But safety advocates and lawmakers alarmed by the number of accidents caused by tired drivers say this issue is finally getting the attention it deserves.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that driver fatigue results in 100,000 crashes, 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries a year in the United States.

Last year, New Jersey became the first state to enact a law to prohibit drowsy driving. The measure, called Maggie’s Law, provides for the prosecution of sleep-deprived motorists involved in accidents. The law defines a driver who has gone without sleep for more than 24 hours as reckless. If fatigue results in a fatal accident, the driver can be charged with vehicular homicide and face up to 10 years in prison.

The law is named after Maggie McDonnell, a 20-year-old college student who was killed in 1997 when a van driven by a sleep-deprived motorist crossed three lanes of traffic and hit her car head-on. Although the driver told police that he had not slept for 30 hours before the accident, he received only a suspended sentence and a $200 fine.

New York and Massachusetts are considering similar bills. At the national level, Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D-N.J.) has introduced a bill to educate motorists about the dangers of driving fatigued, although it does not focus on criminalization.

California does not have a specific law that prohibits drowsy driving, but officers can issue citations for poor driving as a result of motorists’ being too tired to operate their vehicles safely, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Steve Kohler. Officers can look for whether a motorist is weaving, speeding or unable to stay in his or her lane or navigate a curve.

A recent accident on Interstate 15 near Barstow illustrates how deadly drowsy driving can be. On Feb. 6, four people, including a toddler, were killed when the driver of a big rig apparently fell asleep, according to CHP reports. The big rig rear-ended a car and a pickup truck and then crushed both vehicles against another truck, causing a huge explosion, authorities said.

The driver of the big rig, Larry D. Miller, 57, of Colorado, indicated at the accident scene that he had dozed off, said CHP Officer Adam Cortinas. The accident is still under investigation and no citations have been issued. Neither Miller nor the driver of the other big truck was injured, Cortinas said.

Most of us would never consider driving drunk, yet many don’t hesitate to get behind the wheel when they are overly tired, said Marcia Stein, spokeswoman for the National Sleep Foundation in Washington.

A group called Victims of Irresponsible Drowsy Drivers maintains a website that offers these warning signs that motorists may be too tired to drive safely:

* You can’t remember the last few miles you have covered.

* You have difficulty focusing, keeping your eyes open or holding your head up.

* Your vehicle is drifting from its lane, or you find yourself tailgating or missing traffic signs.

If you have any of these symptoms, the group says, you should find a safe place to stop and take a 20-to-40-minute nap or drink caffeine for short-term alertness.

E-mail: jeanrite@aol.com.