National Press Release

ALBANY, N.Y., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- America's Road Team Captain David May, a professional truck driver with over 1.5 million accident-free miles and 28 years behind the wheel, presented life-saving tips yesterday at a drowsy driving press conference as part of the New York State Motor Truck Association's efforts during National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week (Nov. 10-16).

David, a long-haul driver for Con-way Freight and 2008 National Truck Driver of the Year, reached out to the motoring public to talk about the dangers of driving while drowsy. David shared his years of experience and stellar safety record in an effort to educate drivers on how to prevent drowsy driving accidents.

"Drowsy driving is dangerous driving," said America's Road Team Captain David May. "It takes focus and concentration to be safe on the road. When motorists drive drowsy, they are a danger to themselves and others. Make sure to have plenty of rest before a trip and to take breaks when necessary."

Driving while drowsy is one of the leading causes of vehicular crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates over 100,000 crashes each year are due to driver fatigue. In addition, drowsy driving crashes result in at least 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses each year.

The drowsy driving press conference took place at New York State Motor Truck Association Headquarters in Albany, New York. The press conference also featured David J. Swarts, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles; Dr. Bilal Chaudhry, Clinical Director, Capital Region Sleep/Wake Disorder Center; and Cindy O'Connor, who lost a son when a driver fell asleep behind the wheel.

According to America's Road Team Captain David May:

    --  We all get tired; monitor yourself for drowsy driving symptoms.
    --  Key symptoms include: trouble maintaining your lane, wandering thoughts,
        yawning and trouble remembering the last few miles.
    --  David recommends that drowsy drivers stop and rest -- a 15 to 20 minute
        nap will refresh a driver and make them more alert.
    --  With rest, a driver can feel better and enjoy the ride instead of
        counting miles.

Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, is a far-reaching public awareness campaign developed to educate young drivers, their parents and others about drowsy driving and its prevention. The campaign aims to put drowsy driving in the headlights of parents, young people, teachers, school administrators, employers and the media. www.drowsydriving.org

The America's Road Team, sponsored by Volvo Trucks North America, is a national public outreach program led by a small group of professional truck drivers who share superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and a strong desire to spread the word about safety on the highway. www.americasroadteam.com

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States.

The American Trucking Associations has led the campaign for rigorous safety laws that affect every driver on the nation's highways. ATA's overall safety agenda includes greater education on sharing the road with large trucks, increased traffic enforcement for all vehicles that operate unsafely around large trucks, the adoption of primary safety belt laws in all states, and reinstatement of a national maximum speed limit of 65 mph for all vehicles. ATA also supports limiting truck speeds at the time of manufacture. www.truckline.com

SOURCE American Trucking Associations