In Dana point, a female driver fell asleep at the wheel and flipped her car while northbound I-5 just north of Camino Estrella.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the crash happened at 10:42 in the morning while the driver was on the leftmost No. 1 lane. Allegedly, she dozed off and woke up with oncoming traffic stopping in front of her.

The driver swerved to the left and ended up hitting a wall before flipping her Toyota Corolla. The female driver had minor injuries.

In a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation’s most recent survey, 28 percent of Americans have admitted to falling asleep while driving while 54 percent (more than half of the respondents), were guilty of drowsy driving.

According to David Cloud, National Sleep Foundation’s CEO, people are not always aware that they are too tired to drive and can fall into a 3-4 second microsleep. If a driver falls into a microsleep while travelling at 65 mph – the distance is equivalent to driving across a football field while unconscious.

But aside from falling asleep at the wheel, fatigued or drowsy driving is also dangerous because it slows down reaction times, impairs vision and judgment. Even if drivers don’t drive off the road because they fall asleep at the wheel, they may end up hitting pedestrians, bikes, or other cars because they were too sleepy to notice their immediate surroundings.

To avoid the hassle of crashing your car or worse, causing an accident that could potentially hurt or kill other motorists, here are some tips you can follow to avoid being a negligent and drowsy driver:

•    Avoid alcohol or drugs/medication that can cause drowsiness before driving.
•    Get enough sleep and adequate rest to be alert on the road.
•    Use the “buddy system” when driving long distances so the both of you can take turns at the wheel when either driver is feeling sleepy or tired.
•    Drink coffee. Two cups of coffee can increase alertness for several hours.
•    If out for a long drive and you’re feeling sleepy, pull over and take a nap. Also, be careful driving especially if you just woke up.

Early mornings or late evenings are often to time when most sleep-related driving accidents occur. So at the start and the end of your day, make sure you’re wide awake and alert because driving is a skill that requires focus and both of the driver’s eyes open.

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