Sleep

Drowsy driving is a leading cause of crashes. Driving while you are drowsy is just as dangerous as driving drunk. To prevent getting sleepy behind the wheel:

* Get plenty of sleep the night before a trip.

* Do not drive late at night when your body is used to being in bed.

* Avoid driving in the middle of the afternoon

* Do not drive after being awake more than 15 hours (click here to take our drowsy driving quiz)

If you begin to feel sleepy:

* Stop driving

* Pull over and take a nap; even 15 or 20 minutes can restore your alertness

* Get out of the car and exercise

* Drink caffeine

* Studies show that rolling down the window and turning on the radio do not improve your performance, even though you may feel like they are helping. Other studies show that you also cannot tell when you are about to fall asleep. So if you feel drowsy, stop driving.