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Kerrie Warne and her husband, Kyle, had an agreement with their 18-year-old son, Tyler.
Danm/Getty Images
But they didnt know to caution against the perilous act of driving on too littlesleep.
The call came in the middle of the afternoon in March 2010.
Tragically, Tyler was killed in the accident.
Kerrie and Tyler Warne. Courtesy ofthe Warne family
Investigators later confirmed what Tylers passenger reported: Tyler had fallen asleep at the wheel.
We talked with him about everything we were educated about as parents, Kerrie tells SELF.
It never even crossed my mind to have a conversation with him about drowsy driving.
On the other is someone who fallsasleepat the wheel and causes an accident.
In between, you have someone whos too tired to be driving safely but hasnt crashed.
This middle ground is far too common.
The report polled 147,076 people in 19 states and Washington, D.C. Drowsy drivers experience lapses of attention when theirbrains stop taking in and processing information, Van Dongen says.
The scariest part is that you may not even realize youre experiencing these lapses of attention while driving.
Thats when a delayed response can lead to accidents.
Neurologically, drowsiness and alcohol intoxication affect the brain in different ways.
And, of course, if you actually fall asleep, youre not able to pay attention at all.
Though they work in different ways, drowsy and drunk driving both kill far too many people.
For context, theNHTSA reportsthat 10,497 people died in drunk driving crashes in 2016.
Its easier to pinpoint how many people are involved in alcohol-related crashes than ones linked to sleep deprivation.
Unlike withdrunkdriving, there is no breathalyzer or blood test to determine how tired someone is.
Be sure to speak with your doctor if you better drive but also take medications that have sedative effects.
She also recommends paying attention to any signs that something is wrong with your sleep.
Another option is to stop for a caffeinated drink and give the caffeine enough time to boost your alertness.
You want to do everything you’re free to to protect your kids, Kerrie says.
I didnt think to talk [to Tyler] about sleep.
It seems irresponsible to me now.
