By Tom Odegaard Executive Director Evergreen Safety Council

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) surveys, half of Americans consistently report that they have driven drowsy and approximately 20% admit that they have actually fallen asleep at the wheel in the previous year.

Did You Know:
100,000 crashes each year are caused by fatigued drivers? Each year drowsy driving crashes result in at least 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses? 55% of drowsy driving crashes are caused by drivers less than 25 years old? Being awake for 18 hours is equal to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%, which in every state is the legal limit for driving under the influence (DUI) and leaves you at equal risk for a crash?

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The Idaho Department of Transportation is encouraging drivers to follow these 10 tips when encountering winter road conditions:

1. Travel Smart. Travel Safe

Get updates on winter road and weather conditions, emergency closures and access to tourist information 24-hours-a-day by visiting 511.idaho.gov or dialing 511. If your phone company does not support 511, simply call 888-IDA-ROAD (888-432-7623) to access the 511 system.

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