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Tonya Papanikolas and Randall Jeppesen ReportingAt least 10-percent of fatal crashes in Utah are caused by drowsy driving. Several agencies are now launching a campaign aimed at cutting down on those numbers.
Nathan Pickett was driving his car for a sales call last year when he started getting tired.
Nathan Pickett, Drowsy Driving Survivor: "As I was driving, started to feel the fatigue coming on, and the head bob started to happen where I was closing my eyes."
Soon he fell asleep and woke up to find himself driving off the road. When he tried to overcorrect, he rolled his truck five times, eventually landing down a small hill, where he heard a loud boom.
Nathan Pickett: "A loud booming sound of crushing metal, smashing glass. And the whole time, I was just holding on to the wheel of the truck, hoping I would come out of the accident okay."
Nathan amazingly walked away with only minor injuries, but he knows he was lucky. Now he says he watches out for other sleepy drivers.
Nathan Pickett: "I actually honk at 'em. It's scary."
In 2004, fatigued drivers caused more than 1,300 crashes in Utah. 563 people were injured in those accidents and 32 died.
Lt. Lee Perry, Utah Highway Patrol: "People who drive drowsy are just as dangerous as drunk drivers, and sometimes even more so because they don't realize how dangerous they're being."
And accidents happen fast. If you're driving 65 miles per hour, in just three seconds, your car travels so fast you would cover the length of a football field.
The Highway Patrol says they want to avoid deadly crashes so they will now be citing anyone they find driving drowsy. And keep in mind, it doesn't always happen during the nighttime hours.
The highest percentage of people actually fall asleep behind the wheel from noon to 5 pm. But no matter what time it is, experts say you'll know when you're tired.
Troy Tait, MedOne Medical: "Your mind starts to wander a little bit, your thoughts kind of are blurred, you tend to forget where you've been."
Or you'll start to bob your head from sleep.
As these commercials start airing on TV, the message is clear, if you're tired, pull over.
