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Sleep Invention Offers Alternative to Deadly ‘Drowsy Driving’edited by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
Other recent headlines have detailed the dangers that confront drowsy drivers. In England last month, Mathew Mather was sentenced to four years in prison for falling asleep at the wheel of his car, driving off the road and crashing, killing three of his friends. Unfortunately, it seems Mathew’s tragic experience is one that could happen to almost anyone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates there are, at minimum, 100,000 sleep-related crashes per year in the USA. They say 60% of drivers have driven while drowsy in the past year and that an estimated 32 million people actually fell asleep behind the wheel. The DREAMHELMET Strives to Save Lives
The spotlight of public awareness is only recently being cast on the scope of the drowsy driving dilemma. One reason for this new awareness may be that the problem has actually gotten worse over the years, because of broad social changes in sleep habits. Sleep study figures show a dramatic drop in sleep time averages for Americans since the 1960s. As a sleep deprived motorist’s metabolism slows down on a long drive, he can lapse into periods of ‘microsleep’ (episodes of sleep lasting a few seconds) then can finally nod off. Investigators often identify drowsy driving accidents by an ominous lack of skid marks or other signs of crash-avoidance maneuvers. Many in the USA have called for laws against driving while very tired, and one such law was passed in New Jersey, called Maggie's Law, after a child killed in a drowsy driving accident. In Kentucky, recently introduced House Bill #183, if passed into law, would classify a fatal crash caused by a fatigued or sleeping driver as a reckless homicide. Dreamhelmet inventor, Jim De Cordova, believes much more emphasis should be placed on education and helping fatigued drivers than on punishment. The Dreamhelmet offers today’s tired drivers an alternative to risking dangerous drowsy driving. A quick nap in the car, at home, or work, is easy with a Dreamhelmet, a sleep mask sound-blocking pillow. It creates a cozy cushion between the wearer and the wide-awake world. Its patented triple sensory-suppression system helps users go to sleep fast, and sleep longer and more soundly. The Dreamhelmet fits in glove compartment or purse, and has two secret ‘HiPockets’ big enough to hide car keys, credit cards, money, or matches. I am not the only one who loves the Dreamhelmet.I have been using this for several years and I can hardly sleep without it. Recently, I spent a night in the Ice HOtel in Quebec and had not brought into into my ice room. I had trouble sleeping NOT because I was cold, but because I could not turn off the list in the headboard. I blew out the candles on either side of the bed, but no one told me there was a switch in the headboard to turn out the light that radiated from within. After testing the Dreamhelmet, KC Summers, veteran travel writer at The Washington Post, wrote: “I arrived in London relaxed and rested, having had four hours' uninterrupted sleep - a first for me on a transatlantic flight. And once there, I was able to hit the ground running because I had no jet lag to contend with - another first.” Just as it prevented jetlag for KC, the Dreamhelmet can prevent driver fatigue, so when motorists hit the road running they don’t accidentally hit something else. Using a Dreamhelmet at home and work and always carrying another in the car could prevent many accidents. De Cordova also recommends carrying a blanket, a flashlight, a drink and a snack, and a book of matches in the Dreamhelmet’s HiPockets for a complete emergency rest stop package, especially in rural or snowy areas. For a limited time, Dreamcloud Productions is providing a free alarm watch with each Dreamhelmet purchase, so nappers won’t oversleep. In cold conditions, the versatile Dreamhelmet transforms into a muff, a wrap-around pillow or a warm cover for the hands and forearms. Free foam earplugs are already stashed in the HiPockets. Not sold in stores, Dreamhelmets cost $29.95 and may be ordered by calling (888) 918-5630 or visiting: www.dreamhelmet.com Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who sleeps best with a Dreamhelmet. She is a proud member of the Texas Automotive Writers Association. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yogayayay.com, www.chocolatatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.coffeeAtlas.com, and www.teaAtlas.com |
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In October of last year, a disbelieving Colorado
couple video-recorded another motorist erratically piloting her SUV
for thirty miles on public roads, including I-25, while slipping in
and out of sleep, at speeds up to 70 MPH. She
miraculously escaped tragedy (and a collision with a semi-truck) –
but many others are not so fortunate. At least 1500 people die
in ‘drowsy driving’ crashes each year in the US. The figures on
these accidents and deaths are considered greatly underreported and
are likely much higher. 
Drowsiness is a not just a problem for automobile
drivers. It daily causes mistakes, miscalculations, and mishaps,
wherever humans are managing machinery – ships and aircraft
included. The November 7, 2007 collision of an oil tanker with the
Oakland Bay Bridge was blamed on a ship's pilot who fell asleep,
causing an oil spill that killed thousands of seabirds. The Staten
Island Ferry accident of 2003, that killed eleven people, was blamed
on a fatigued pilot asleep at the wheel. Pilot fatigue was
cited by the NTSB as a factor several recent airline accidents.