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Teen drivers in Indiana are at high risk of being involved in a traffic collision.In fact, our Highland car accident lawyers understand it’s more dangerous for them here on our roads than anywhere else in the country. That’s not a scare tactic. That’s reality, according to a recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

While Indiana tied with Tennessee in terms of the sheer number of teen driver fatalities in the first six months of 2012 (which totaled 16 for each state), Indiana was far higher in terms of the reported increase from the first six months of 2011.

While Tennessee saw its teen driver deaths spike from 6 to 16, here in Indiana, we went from 3 to 16. That is the biggest increase in the country. It’s not something we want to be known for as a state, and it’s certainly not a price we are willing to continue to pay.

Just last month, Indiana was given a mid-level “yellow light” rating by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in terms of our implemented highway safety initiatives. Two of the top safety measures we had yet to enact were graduated driver’s license restrictions that required teens to be at least 16 years-old in order to have a learner’s permit and a similar provision that would restrict teen drivers’ ability to operate a vehicle at night.

We would sincerely hope that such measures could gain significant support now that we have learned that we are without question the worst in the country when it comes to protecting our youthful drivers – and those who share the road with them.

The GHSA indicates that if the final 2012 statistics follow this same trend, it will be the second year in a row that we will have seen increases in teen driver fatalities nationwide. That is an extremely troubling prospect, especially as states had managed to reduce that figure every year prior since 2003.

Researchers say there are a number of reasons why we may be seeing this sharp increase. One is an improving economy. Of course, there are many great things about this, but lower gas prices, more jobs and pay increases inevitably mean that Americans – including teenagers – have more ability and opportunity to be on the roads in the first place.

But that’s not truly where we need to place the lion’s share of the blame. At the end of the day, it’s distraction, distraction, distraction. Teens who are talking and texting behind the wheel pose an enormous risk to themselves, their passengers and those in the vehicles around them. While the GHSA’s report focuses on fatalities, the fact is, traffic accident injuries stemming from teen distracted driving are numerous.

In fact, a recent study conducted by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and Virginia Tech found that distracted driving accounted for an eye-popping 80 percent of all crashes, with 18 to 20 year-olds four times more likely to be involved in accidents overall.

Teens need to know that absolutely no text message, conversation or favorite song is worth dying for. In teaching your teen to avoid distractions behind the wheel, drive home the following points:

  • Don’t eat in the car.
  • Wait to mess with the controls, mirrors, heaters, and radio until you have come to a complete stop or are in park;
  • Don’t drive with friends in the car, if you can avoid it.
  • Keep your cell phone in your purse or tucked inside the counsel to avoid temptation.
  • Keep the radio volume to a minimum, otherwise you might risk a failure to hear emergency vehicles or other important roadway sounds – particularly if you’re driving in reduced visibility;
  • If something falls to the floor while you are driving, leave it. You can pick it up when you’re stopped;
  • Don’t try to read while you’re driving – that includes e-mail, internet surfing and text messages.

We can’t get back those precious young lives we’ve already lost, but we can make it a point to do everything in our power to prevent the same fatal errors from happening again and again.
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Seldom do people marry believing that it’s temporary. They expect it will be forever.However, as an increasing number of baby boomers are beginning to find out, forever is a very long time.

Our Munster divorce lawyers know that the number of over-50 clients we’ve seen in recent years has been on the rise. Now, the National Center for Family and Marriage Research confirms that this is a nationwide trend. Between 1990 and 2010, researchers say the divorce rate doubled for over-50 couples.

This is a marked shift from the historic trend. In the past, divorce primarily involved younger couples, those who had perhaps married too young and soon realized they had made an awful mistake. Back in 1990, these individuals accounted for 90 percent of all divorces, while those 50 and older accounted for just one in 10.

As of 2010, 50-and-older couples accounted for 25 percent of all divorce filings. It’s higher for those who are already in their second or third marriage.

Some speculate that some of the same things that can recharge a marriage can also cause it to falter. For example, the kids leaving home. Many couples might see this as a chance to revel in one another. But increasingly these days, couples are finding that the kids were the glue, and so the union comes undone.

Another factor is that more often than ever, women have independent and successful careers outside the home. They don’t have to stay in the marriage to survive financially.

Additionally, as the baby boom generation ages, the number of seniors is rising at a rapid rate, which means their overall divorce numbers are going to be higher. People are living longer and healthier too, which means people are less apt to simply accept the status quo solely based on the feeling that it’s too late to change.

And finally, those who have been married and divorce before, although they may be loathe to go down that road again, know when it’s not working. And they know that, having been through it once, they can go through it again and come out alright on the other side.

All of this said, our Munster divorce attorneys are keen to the fact that the needs of divorce clients in their 50s and 60s are far different than those in their 20s and 30s.

Younger couples are primarily going to be concerned with things like child support, mortgage payments and co-mingled debts. There may still be some of that for older couples, but we have found concerns tend to shift to ensuring health insurance for both parties, sorting out home equity liability on underwater homes and long-term support payments and savings.

There is a lot that we can work into the divorce arrangement, depending on your individual situation. The important thing is planning. If you are the one who will likely be initiating the divorce, you may want to sit down with a divorce attorney and a financial planner before even having extensive talks with your soon-to-be-ex. It’s not a matter of loyalty, it’s a matter of practicality and of ensuring your long-term needs will be met.

If you are the one who is being filed upon, do not allow shock to stop you from hurrying to see a lawyer. In some cases, the earlier we can review your case the better our results will be.

As you are going through the process, keep the following in mind:

  • Save as much as you can, with the understanding that your income and monthly expenses may be substantially impacted by the aftermath of a divorce;
  • Refrain from continuing to support your adult children, whether it is through monthly expenses or a $25,000 wedding. At the very least, wait until the dust has settled and the ink has dried.
  • Meet with a financial planner, in addition to meeting with your divorce attorney. In some cases, we will work with financial planners in order to help you hammer out an agreeable divorce settlement that will help you well into retirement.

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Three people were killed in an early morning crash in Lake County, and rescuers reportedly found the vehicle submerged in a creek off Belshaw Road.Our Lowell car accident lawyers understand that the deceased were identified as a 21-year-old male driver, a 20-year-old female passenger and a 40-year-old male passenger.

While investigators are still looking into how events unfolded, we recognize that Indiana’s numerous bodies of water (18 rivers and four lakes – not including Lake Michigan) create ample opportunity for tragic scenarios such as this to occur. It’s important for drivers and passengers to know what to do in the event of vehicle submersion. Fast, decisive action can often mean the difference between life and death.

In this case, authorities believe the vehicle was moving east on Belshaw when for some reason it left the road as it was rounding a curve. After digging into the grass, the car flew into the air and hit a tree before plunging into the creek and coming to a rest on its roof.

What we don’t know at this point is whether the individuals inside were killed upon impact or whether they drowned. In many submerged vehicle situations, surviving the initial impact is the biggest challenge. That is why is is so important to always, always, always wear your seat belt. There is the mistaken belief that somehow wearing your seat belt is going to mean you’ll be stuck in a vehicle if you land in the water. This is false. What’s more, your ability to be alert and conscious upon impact is going to make all the difference in whether you’ll be able to survive the vehicle’s entry into the water.

If this is a situation in which you ever find yourself, the National Safety Council suggests the following:

  • Brace yourself for the impact. As soon as you realize you are going to go off the road and into the water, put your hands on the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 position. This reduces your risk of injury or unconsciousness from the airbag’s deployment.
  • Do your best to stay calm. Panic consumes energy and air – neither of which you can afford to lose right now.
  • Unbuckle your seat belt. People often forget to do this, but it’s the very first thing you need to take care of.
  • Unbuckle the children, starting with the oldest, who may be able to help with the others.
  • Forget your cell phone. People have lost their lives trying to dial 911 in a sinking car.
  • Open the window. Forget the door. An electric window should still work for up to three minutes in the water.
  • If you can’t get the window open manually, your focus needs to be on breaking it, either with an object or your foot.
  • Once the window is open, grab the children, take a deep breath and swim out and up.

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The fact that most drivers are aware of the potential dangers of actions like speeding, texting and drinking behind the wheel is a testament to the intensive efforts of public safety officials.However, our Hammond car accident attorneys know there is a disconnect between this awareness and actual driving habits. That is, people recognize that these actions are risky and many even support tighter laws for violators – but they also continue to commit such offenses themselves.

This phenomenon was most recently highlighted in the AAA Foundation for Safety’s Traffic Safety Culture Index survey, which polled some 4,000 drivers – oversampling the 16-to-18-year-old crowd – regarding their road safety views and habits.

What researchers discovered was that with almost every major safety concern, there was a very clear “Do as I say, not as I do” pattern. Drivers expressed the belief that while things like driving drowsy aren’t acceptable and should be harshly penalized, many admitted to committing such offenses themselves at some point over the last year.

For example, almost half of all those questioned reported that sleep-deprived motorists are a serious threat to personal safety and almost 100 percent said it was unacceptable for someone to drive a vehicle when they were so tired they were fighting to keep their eyes open. Yet almost a third admitted to driving drowsy within the past month. A fifth reported having done it more than once. A small portion said they do this regularly, with men about 7 percent more likely than women.

We have to consider too that this is all self-reported, so the actual numbers are in all likelihood much higher.

Red light running was another problem on which researchers focused. More than 90 percent of respondents said it was unacceptable for a driver to run a red light if they could have safely made a stop. More than 55 percent said they would support the use of automatic ticket cameras to issue citations for red-light running in urban settings. Yet astonishingly, nearly 40 percent said that they had done it themselves in the 30 days prior (which makes you wonder why there aren’t even more serious accidents every day!). A quarter of respondents said they had done it more than once.

Speeding too is widespread. Almost half of all motorists said they viewed going more than 10 miles per hour in a residential area posed a significant safety threat. Roughly 35 percent said the same of those who traveled more than 15 miles per hour over the speed limit on the expressway. At the same time, about half conceded to doing one or the other during the previous month. Twelve percent said they sped frequently.

The use of cell phones – both calls and texts/emails – is also a leading cause of accidents. Almost 60 percent of drivers said that other motorists talking on the phone posed a serious personal safety threat, and almost 100 percent said the same about texting. Yet, nearly 70 percent admitted to talking on the phone while operating a vehicle in the last month and another 35 percent said they had typed or responded to a text or e-mail. Researchers noted their belief, based on crash statistics involving phones, that the actual rate was likely much higher.

Impaired driving is another risky behavior that most people agreed poses a significant hazard on the road and were in favor of tougher DUI laws. In this case, about 15 percent of motorists admitted to at some point over the last year driving when their blood alcohol content was either close to or over the legal limit of 0.08 percent. About 10 percent said they had done so more than once.

As this research reveals, we can’t always trust that other drivers are going to be engaging in safe behaviors. Cautious, defensive driving is paramount.
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Today is an unofficial U.S. holiday – Super Bowl Sunday. Across the country, hosts are cooking up pots of spicy chili, marinating those burgers and brats for grilling – and making last-minute beer runs.Our Highland personal injury attorneys know that Super Bowl Sunday is a notoriously dangerous day to be on the road. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, alcohol was a factor in 43 percent of all fatal crashes on Super Bowl in 2011. On most other days, alcohol is a factor in about 30 percent of all fatal crashes.

Some research has indicated that historically, the statistics have been worse – especially if your team loses.

Scientists at the University of Toronto recently looked at crash data on Super Bowl game days dating back 27 years – and found significant increases. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the data showed that while there was actually a 10 percent drop in DUI crashes during the game, the hour immediately after the game was deadly – with a 70 percent increase in accidents overall. Throughout the evening of Superbowl Sunday, the average accident rate rose by 40 percent compared to an average Sunday evening.

Whereas the average number of people who died in traffic accidents on a typical Sunday was 17, the researchers found it rose to 24 lives lost on Super Bowl Sunday. (Last year, it was even higher, with 27 people killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes on Super Bowl Sunday, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.) And those injured in traffic crashes increased from 1,300 on an average Sunday to 1,900 on Super Bowl Sunday. The number of overall crashes went from 3,000 to almost 4,000.

Of course, that’s nationwide. We can’t speak to the specific statistics in Indiana, but we do know law enforcement officials here are taking it seriously, promising to be out in full force conducting saturation patrols to nab suspected drunk drivers.

According to Bankrate.com, the average DUI arrest – after fines, court costs, attorneys’ fees, traffic school, probation and higher insurance rates – is going to run you about $10,000, maybe more.

Still, it doesn’t appear fans intend to refrain from imbibing. NBC News reports that the amount of money spent on beer in the two weeks surrounding last year’s Super Bowl was more than $1 billion.

Studies have indicated that in addition to alcohol, driver inattention is a big factor in crashes following the game, with fans replaying the highlights (and lamenting the bad plays) in their minds – consuming the attention they should be giving to the road ahead.

In Indiana, hosts, too, may be held liable if one of their guests to whom they served alcohol gets into a serious wreck – especially if that driver is underage. So if you are hosting a party tonight, make sure the following is part of your checklist:

  • Make sure all guests have a designated driver.
  • Make sure to offer plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and food.
  • Cut off alcohol consumption at the end of the third quarter, just like the stadiums do it. Give your guests a chance to sober up, and offer coffee and desert.
  • Have the phone numbers of local taxi companies on hand.
  • Take the keys away from anyone who seems to drunk to drive.

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New Years is a time when many begin to reevaluate their lives and think about where they are going in the future. For some, this brings up questions about whether they want to stay in their marriage or whether they want to explore the possibility of divorce.If you are thinking about potentially putting an end to your marriage, it is important to get some basic information about what the divorce process entails. To help you get started on making an informed choice, our Highland divorce attorneys have answers to some of the key questions. These New Years divorce FAQs can give you a good starting point in deciding whether divorce is right for you.

How Do I Get Divorced?
You can get divorced in Indiana if you or your spouse is a resident and have lived in the state for at least three months prior to the divorce. To start the process, you or your spouse will need to file a Petition for Dissolution. After no less than 60 days, the court will enter a decree of divorce. Your divorce settlement should also be entered at the time of your divorce decree.

Does there have to be a reason for the divorce?
Indiana does not require that someone be at fault for the divorce, but there must be grounds for the divorce. Grounds for divorce can include an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. In some cases, however, someone is responsible or does something to prompt the divorce. In these instances, grounds can be included.

Do we have to go to court?
You do not have to go to court in every divorce. If you agree on a provisional order, if you and your spouse both complete divorce education and if you can come to an out-of-court settlement agreement that resolves all of your issues, then you can get a waiver to avoid appearing in court.

How do Indiana courts divide property?
Indiana divides property equitably or fairly. It does not matter whose name the property is when Indiana courts decide how to divide property. Courts will look at the contributions that each party made to the marriage, as well as the party’s income, where the property came from (whether it was inherited, etc) and the party’s behavior with regards to marital funds when deciding how property is divided.

Who will get custody of the kids?
It is always best if you and your spouse can answer this question on your own and come to an agreement outside of court. You can even get help from a mediator to come to a solution. Resolving the custody dispute on your own is best so you can decide what works for your family. If you cannot resolve the custody agreement on your own, then the courts will decide the issue for you by considering what is in the best interests of the child.

Should I have a lawyer?
You should always have a lawyer when going through an Indiana divorce and your spouse should have a separate attorney. Your respective attorneys will negotiate a settlement, advise you of your rights, help protect your rights and argue for you in a litigated divorce should it become necessary to ask a court to decide issues of property or support.
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When it comes to nationwide roadway safety, Indiana did not fare as well as we would have hoped, according to a recently-released annual report highlighting legislative deficiencies.Our Highland personal injury attorneys aren’t surprised by the findings, though we hope it serves as an eye-opener and a starting point for lawmakers to advocate for change.

The “2013 Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws,” conducted by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, reveals that 750 of the more than 8,300 traffic fatalities occurring in the last decade happened in 2011. These crashes have an annual economic impact of $4.35 billion to the state of Indiana, including costs of property damage, injury, hospitalization, lost work, law enforcement and emergency resources and disability. (Nationwide, that figure was $300 billion in 2011 – up from $230 billion in 2000.)

While we may never be successful in the complete eradication of inexperienced and irresponsible drivers, there is certainly more we could do. The state has been given an overall “yellow light” rating – a mid-range rank falling between optimal traffic safety measures (green) and abysmal (red).

Specifically, the report outlines the following areas where Indiana can improve:

  • Enact an all-rider motorcycle helmet law;
  • Enact graduated driver’s license programs that require drivers to be at least 16 years-old for a learner’s permit and strengthen nighttime driving restrictions for those drivers;
  • Enact a law requiring ignition interlock devices for everyone convicted of DUI – not just repeat offenders;
  • Enact a law that additionally penalizes impaired drivers who have minors in the vehicle with a charge of child endangerment.

There really is no excuse not to move on these actions, particularly considering that Congress passed a multi-billion dollar transportation initiative offering states monetary incentives to do so.

With regard to motorcycle helmet laws, only 19 states and the District of Columbia have them. Indiana is one of those lacking. The study indicates that the lives of nearly 40 motorcycle riders could have been saved last year if we had implemented an all-rider helmet law.

Indiana did earn a “green light” rating for its passage of optimal child booster seat laws, which is important given that traffic crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for children over the age of 5. Booster seats are believed to reduce the injury risk for kids aged 4 through 7 by about 60 percent.

We were also given a “green light” rating for our GDL laws, but it’s noted that we only have five of the recommended seven GDL laws in place. Between 2006 and 2011, some 900 people were killed in crashes involving drivers who were between the ages of 15 and 20. Passage of enhanced GDL laws, which allow novice drivers to gain experience gradually and safely, could serve to reduce that number even more.

For example, states with nighttime driving restrictions for under-18 drivers report teen fatality reductions as high as 60 percent during those hours.

With regard to impaired driving, Indiana gets only a “yellow light” rating. Of the 1,140 children under age 14 killed in traffic accidents in 2011, more than 15 percent were alcohol-related crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that somewhere between 50 million and 100 million drunk driving trips are made each year with children under the age of 15 in the vehicle – illustrating why the implementation of a child endangerment law to enhance criminal penalties for such violations is so critical.

Of course, we have laws to protect our children from abuse, neglect or negligence. And while driving drunk with a child in the car is clearly negligence, it’s not clearly stated as such under state law. Indiana is behind the curve on this, as one of only eight states lacking such a law.
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With only a small swath of northern Indiana bordering Lake Michigan, it’s natural that flooding isn’t as great of a concern here as in low-lying areas of states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.But our Munster injury lawyers know it’s unwise to ignore the potential risks, particularly when we see a combination of widespread rainfall, melting snow and saturated soil – all of which contributes to flooding, particularly in lowland regions of the state.

In fact, the Indiana Department of Transportation recently issued a warning urging motorists who encounter a flooded roadway to immediately turn around. It’s not worth the risk of vehicle damage, injury and even death that can occur when drivers try to take a chance in high water.

IDOT is taking the risk so seriously that it has launched a public awareness campaign titled, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

While state traffic crews have been working around the clock to barricade highways that have seen flooding and remove excess debris from drainage sites, the fact is, flood waters can rise quickly and with little warning.

Sport utility vehicle drivers in particular may be at risk because drivers may have a false sense of security upon encountering flooding. Unless your vehicle doubles as a boat, be warned that six inches of standing water is sufficient to cause passenger cars to stall out. A foot of water is enough to cause you to float away.

The National Weather Service reports that the vast majority of flash flooding deaths occur when people encounter the flood waters in motor vehicles. It’s especially risky when the water is moving rapidly.

Bear in mind that if there are barriers blocking the roadway with warning signs of flooding, you would be taking an enormous risk with your life and those of your passengers by driving around them.

Note too that if you choose to travel flooded roadways and get stranded, emergency crews may not risk their own lives to save you. It’s possible you may not even be able to call for help, particularly if flooding results in downed communication lines. And even if help is on the way, it may take much longer than it normally would, due to the impeding water.

And if you get stuck and think you can simply wade through, consider that exposure to standing flood water has been documented by the Centers for Disease Control to be associated with a high risk of infectious diseases, chemical hazards and injuries.

You should also be cautious of roadways in the immediate wake of a flood. The fact is, flooding can cause damage to both roads and bridges. And just because the damage isn’t visible doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe to proceed.
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When it comes to divorce filings, January is king.In fact, the first Monday after the children return to school from the winter break is actually when we see more divorce filings than any other day of the year.

Our Lake County divorce lawyers know there is no one-size-fits-all explanation. As with any other matter of the heart, it often comes down to a complex set of factors all converging at once.

But that doesn’t mean you should fail to be strategic. Our divorce lawyers know that proper planning is key to ensuring you start the new year – and the first part of the rest of your life – off on solid ground.

One reason January may see so many filings is that unfortunately, the holidays tend to bring out some of the worst in people. Or at the very least, it can be a time of intense stress, and it can cause tensions from other, long-festering disagreements to bubble to the surface. Plus, couples with children really try to their best to hold it all together during the holidays, even when there are serious underlying issues. They either do their best to really give it their all one last time, or they commit to giving the kids one last holiday season of togetherness.

After the first of the year, people find they can no longer take it, or they have already made up their minds to act. It becomes a personal deadline: If it’s still not working by New Year’s, I’m done.

The founder of DivorcedWomenOnline.com says they see the most page views the day after Christmas. People begin looking for information before the new year even starts, but they often wait until the attorneys are back in the office. They may even give themselves a few days or weeks to mull it over before finally deciding to pull the trigger.

Then you consider that the whole sentiment that a new year brings: Fresh start, clean slate, new beginnings. It pushes people to really assess what they want in life, whether they’re truly happy or whether it’s simply not working.

But one reason we may end up seeing a larger-than-normal number of January filings is that we as a country experienced a slight economic uptick in the last several months. It’s well-documented that economic downturns actually cause people to stay in unhappy marriages for longer. Divorces, even when they are good for everyone involved in the long run, do cost money. It’s not just about filing fees and lawyer costs. You have to consider the cost of essentially halving your monthly income and/or doubling your monthly expenses. But truthfully, divorce shouldn’t be a luxury. If you aren’t happy or if you have been seriously wronged or especially if you are in an abusive relationship, getting out now will find you better off down the road.

And all of this is going to be true whether you file in January or June or September. No matter what month you file, you are going to have to make the same considerations.

What we absolutely would not advise is to rush a divorce filing without first consulting with an experienced divorce lawyer. It’s often better to wait and file in March with all your ducks in a row than to hurry and file in January without being organized. Still, every situation is different. Call us today to see what is truly the best course of action for your situation.
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The dangers of drowsy driving have become a major topic of conversation in recent years as it has become increasingly clear that fatigued driving presents many of the same risks as driving drunk (impaired reflexes, inability to slow or swerve to avoid a crash, etc.).

Our Hammond injury attorneys encourage you to take the risks seriously, and get medical help for sleep disorders or persistent problems pertaining to sleep.

The New York Times indicated that a CDC study had found drowsy driving to be widespread. One piece of good news, on the other hand, was a study on Money News indicating that more people than ever before aregetting treatment for sleep disorders.New Drowsy Driving Data Shows That Many are Taking Risks
The bad news is that, according to the New York Times, a study conducted by the CDC has revealed that millions are driving even though they are way too tired to actually be safe behind the wheel.

The CDC study involved the collection of data from 19 different states throughout the U.S. as well as from the District of Columbia (D.C.). Researchers asked a total of 147,000 individuals to answer detailed questions on their sleeping patterns, on their driving and on their work.

According to the study:

  • Younger drivers ages 18-44 were most likely to drive drowsy. Over 5 percent of survey respondents in this age group reported falling asleep or nodding off while driving at least once in the prior month.
  • Older drivers were least likely to drive drowsy. Among the 65+ group of survey respondents, only 1.7 percent said they had fallen asleep as they were driving.
  • When taking the average of all drivers, 4.2 percent said that in the month before they were surveyed, they’d fallen asleep while driving. This goes beyond just feeling a little tired- they actually fell asleep.

These numbers may seem surprising, since it is hard to believe that so many people actually fall asleep even for a few seconds behind the wheel. Still, they are reflected in the statistics on drowsy driving deaths. In 2009 alone, 730 people lost their lives in fatal car wrecks as a result of a distracted driver.

The Good News: More Are Getting Help
While hundreds of deaths per year and millions driving drowsy are certainly clear and unequivocal indicators that something has to be done about drowsy driving, the good news is that many people are taking matters into their own hands.

Those who snore or who are sleep deprived are more likely to drive drowsy, the CDC study says, and many of these people are getting help at sleep centers nationwide.

In fact, so many people are seeking assistance with their sleep problems that Money News reports the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has now accredited its 2,500th sleep center. There are now more sleep centers accredited than at any time since the Academy began the accreditation process in 1977 and there are double the number of centers from just a single decade ago.

More sleep centers accommodate more people getting treatment and hopefully those who solve their sleep issues will drop out of the ranks of drowsy drivers and make the roads safer for all.
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