The Dangers of Drowsy Driving - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) – The new school year means college students might find themselves soon making long, weekend trips home.

Experts at Gundersen Lutheran say its important they're well-rested when doing so.

Kim Lombard, the Coordinator of Trauma and Injury Prevention at Gundersen, says roughly 1-thousand traffic deaths each year can be attributed to drowsy driving.

She adds staying awake for 20 hours or more and then getting behind the wheel is the equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08.

"There's going to be some inattentive driving when you're drowsy," Lombard says. "Your reaction time will be slowed. Those are both important things to consider."

"We all think that drinking and driving is so dangerous, and it is, but we don't put the same emphasis on driving while you're tired or drowsy," she says.