It is something most drivers have probably experienced at some point in time–feeling sleepy while behind the wheel. While most probably think about long cross-country trips as being the biggest culprit where this is concerned, the reality is it can occur even on short car trips when a driver has not gotten enough sleep. It can, and does happen to people of all walks of life.

In the best situations drowsy drivers are able to make it their destination without a mishap. When sleep does overtake a driver however the results can be devastating not only for those in the vehicle but others on the road as well should a car accident occur.

In an effort to combat the problem some states have enacted laws against the practice. Enforcement of them has proven to be difficult however as there is currently not a good way to measure how much sleep someone has recently gotten. Even if there was a way to obtain such a measure it would still likely be difficult to decide where to draw the line since each person has a different threshold when it comes to how much sleep they need.

At least one state is taking a different approach to the problem working to help drivers identify when they may be too tired to safely operate a motor vehicle. In addition to educating drivers about signs of drowsiness in a manual they are also installing rumble strips on some roads to help keep drivers on the road.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you have suggestions regarding how to best combat this issue?

Source: Associated Press, "Drowsy Driving Remains an Elusive Highway Dilemma," Frank Eltman, May 11, 2013