Issaquah family helps spur effort to prevent drowsy-driving

Gov. Chris Gregoire proclaimed November 12-18, 2012 as Washington State Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. The statewide proclamation is also in tandem with the National Drowsy Driving prevention week sponsored by The National Sleep Foundation. The Oct. 17 proclamation was initiated by Issaquah residents William Shaw and Mary Beth Haggerty-Shaw in recognition of their daughter, Mora, who was nearly killed as a result of an accident caused by a drowsy driver. The Shaw’s recent proclamation initiative was also facilitated by 5th District House Rep. Jay Rodne. William Shaw is publisher of the Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter.

November 21, 2012 6:36 pm
Mora Shaw
Mora Shaw

 

Gov. Chris Gregoire proclaimed November 12-18, 2012 as Washington State Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. The statewide proclamation is also in tandem with the National Drowsy Driving prevention week sponsored by The National Sleep Foundation.

The Oct. 17 proclamation was initiated by Issaquah residents William Shaw and Mary Beth Haggerty-Shaw in recognition of their daughter, Mora, who was nearly killed as a result of an accident caused by a drowsy driver. The Shaw’s recent proclamation initiative was also facilitated by 5th District House Rep. Jay Rodne. William Shaw is publisher of the Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter.

In July 2006, Mora Haggerty Shaw suffered multiple major fractures and a traumatic brain injury from a Blewitt Pass drowsy driving accident and was in a coma for two weeks. Spending years in recovery, Mora Shaw continues to deal with her injuries with more surgeries in her future. However, Shaw was one of the lucky ones, one that survived.

Since Mora’s accident, the Shaws mission has been to increase drowsy driving awareness and prevention and to do all they can to prevent other people from going through the nightmare that their daughter and family went though. In 2010, the Shaws also testified before the Washington state House Judiciary Committee to encourage them to consider stiffer penalties for drowsy drivers that caused accidents and injuries.

According to a November 2011 Washington State Patrol press release, in 2010, there were 17 people killed and 74 seriously injured in Washington State because motorists were either drowsy or had fallen asleep while driving. Estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that nationally drowsy driving results in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and more than 100,000 accidents each year.

Not only are Washington State drivers at risk of falling asleep when they drive while too tired, but also their response times and alertness are dulled. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, after 24 hours of no sleep, a driver is as impaired as if he or she were over the legal limit for alcohol. Sometimes police pull over people thinking their driving patterns point to drunkenness, but instead they find overly tired drivers behind the wheel.

AAA also reports that drowsy-driving accidents happen most often during the night or in early morning, but a spike also occurs in the mid- to late afternoon because of natural fatigue cycles.

People become drowsy while driving for a number of reasons, the most obvious of which is sleep loss that could be caused simply by missing the necessary hours of rest or by sleep disorders. Other causes of fatigue can be overnight or split work shifts, jet-lag, medication, alcohol or illegal drug use. Younger drivers 18-25 are also more at risk statistically.

Besides the obvious advice to get enough sleep, treat sleep disorders medically and avoid taking substances that cause fatigue, other good ideas to prevent a drowsy driving accident are:

■ Get a good night’s sleep before you hit the road. You’ll want to be alert for the drive, so be sure to get adequate sleep (seven to nine hours) the night before you go.

■ Don’t be too rushed to arrive at your destination. Many drivers try to maximize the holiday weekend by driving at night or without stopping for breaks. It’s better to allow the time to drive alert and arrive alive.

■ Use the buddy system. Just as you should not swim alone, avoid driving alone for long distances. A buddy who remains awake for the journey can take a turn behind the wheel and help identify the warning signs of fatigue.

■ Take a break every 100 miles or two hours. Do something to refresh yourself like getting a snack, switching drivers, or going for a run.

■ Take a nap – find a safe place to take a 15 to 20-minute nap, if you think you might fall asleep. Be cautious about excessive drowsiness after waking up.

■ Avoid alcohol and medications that cause drowsiness as a side-effect.

■Avoid driving at times when you would normally be asleep.

■ Consume caffeine. The equivalent of two cups of coffee can increase alertness for several hours.

Certain physical symptoms should alert a driver to get off the road because of his or her fatigue level. These include constant yawning, trouble focusing visually, drifting out of your lane, suddenly realizing that you can’t remember the last stretch of road traveled, or actually falling asleep and waking up after having continued to steer the car down the road.

As Drowsy Driving Prevention Week is officially observed in Washington State, the Shaws urge all drivers to be aware of their level of alertness or fatigue before they get behind the wheel – this week, during the busy holiday season and throughout the year.

In light of the statewide proclamation, this year the Shaws have also partnered with the Washington State Patrol, the State Transportation Safety Commission, AAA of Washington and the King County Sheriffs’ Office in their efforts to promote Drowsy Driving awareness and prevention.

For more information on drowsy driving, go to the National Sleep Foundation and the AAA Foundations’ websites: www.drowsydriving.org and www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/2011DrowsyDrivingWeekPR.pdf.