Why holiday drivers make this weekend dangerous

I used to live in the southern, more metropolitan, part of my state. I dreaded the holiday weekends when, like everyone else on the road, I was battling the northbound traffic. I used to think of different plans -- I'll leave late, late, late on Friday night or I'll wake up at 5 am and hit the road. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one coming up with those plans to beat the traffic, and I was usually stuck anyway.

Not surprisingly, my late night/early morning commutes weren't very safe. According to the National Sleep Foundation, far too many Americans are too tired to drive safely. In a recent poll, 36% of respondents admitted to either feeling drowsy while driving or actually falling asleep at the wheel. Driving at odd hours to beat traffic just increases the risk of driving while you're not alert.

So be careful this weekend -- don't get behind the wheel if you're not at your best.