No, it’s not drinking and driving — it’s drowsy driving.

Without taking a sip of alcohol, you could be as impaired as a drunk driver. Being awake for 18 hours is akin to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05, and being awake for 24 hours is equivalent to blowing a 0.10, according to a study by researchers in Australia. And while there are many campaigns aimed at raising awareness for drinking and driving, few people are aware of how prevalent and dangerous drowsy driving is on American roads.

To raise awareness of drowsy driving and reduce the number of fatigue-related crashes, the National Sleep Foundation has declared Nov.6-12, 2011 to be Drowsy Driving Prevention Week.

Drowsy driving statistics

• 60 percent of adult drivers admitted to driving drowsy in the past year.
• 37 percent of people have actually fallen asleep at the wheel before.
• 13 percent of those people do so at least once a month.
• 23 percent of adults know someone who has crashed due to drowsy driving.
• Those in the 18-29 age bracket are far more likely to drive while drowsy.

Who’s most at risk for drowsy driving?

Everyone who drives is susceptible to drowsy driving given the appropriate circumstances. After all, about a third of all Americans admitted to driving while sleepy in the last 30 days, according to new data from the AAA Foundation. That being said, the following groups are more at risk for drowsy driving than others:

Young drivers: Exhaustion and inexperience are never a good combination with young drivers. Males between the ages of 16-25 are especially at risk.

People working long hours or night shifts: If you have multiple jobs, work a lot of overtime or work the night shift, you are six times more likely to have an accident due to drowsy driving.

Commercial drivers & business travelers:Not only are those who drive long distances more at risk for drowsy driving, but commercial drivers are also at a higher risk for sleep disorders. Business travelers also frequently drive while drowsy, due to the effects of jet lag or crossing time zones.

Those with sleep disorders: Research has shown that people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea are up to seven times more likely to crash as a result of drowsy driving, and insomnia can also be a factor. If you think you have a sleep disorder, you should visit a sleep center to speak with a sleep specialist.

How do you prevent drowsy driving?

• Get plenty of sleep.
• Drink caffeine when necessary.
• When driving long distances, travel with a buddy.
• Take breaks in driving every two hours or 100 miles.
• Do not drink alcohol or take medicine that causes drowsiness.
• Try not to drive during a time you would normally be sleeping.

Check out the National Sleep Foundation’s Drowsy Driving site for more information on drowsy driving and how it can be prevented.

All facts and statistics in this post are from the Drowsy Driving website.

If you’re looking for one of our locations, you’ll find them in the site’s left navigation. Each of our location pages contains that office’s phone number, address, map, services offered and providers. If you’re trying to find a provider, you can now search by the provider’s name, their specialty or the conditions they treat. The provider’s page lists their education history, certifications, specialties and interests. Each page also contains a photo and a video bio in which our providers speak about their treatment philosophy, what they want patients to know about CEENTA, and what they enjoy most about working at CEENTA.

Like we say on our homepage – some people know us as eye or ear doctors, but we’re so much more. CEENTA is proud to offer a variety of additional services that fall under eye, ear, nose and throat care. Many people do not realize that we have allergy, audiology, sleep medicine, facial plastic surgery or voice and swallowing centers, as well as a full-service optical shop. You can find these services under the “Other Services” tab on the left.

If your questions are not answered on the many new pages we’ve created, you may want to turn your attention to the new CEENTA library. This library contains more than a hundred pages on conditions and treatment options. However, as extensive as this library is, it is no substitute for the medical knowledge and guidance our providers have to offer. To schedule an appointment, call 704-295-3000 or log in to our patient portal (you will need to create an account if you do not already have one).

If you find any issues with our new site – whether it be broken links, inaccurate text or simple typos – please let us know by e-mailing us at info@ceenta.com. You will notice there are no links to the social media icons. We will be joining these networks in the coming months, and hope you will find us there at that time.

Thanks again for looking for us!

Please do not substitute, disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice based on this program and call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately for any medical emergency

Please do not substitute, disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice based on this program and call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately for any medical emergency

Please do not substitute, disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice based on this program and call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately for any medical emergency

Please do not substitute, disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice based on this program and call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately for any medical emergency

Please do not substitute, disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice based on this program and call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately for any medical emergency

Please do not substitute, disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice based on this program and call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately for any medical emergency