Have you ever gotten really sleepy behind the wheel? I mean, you are so sleepy that the minute you think about something other than driving, you nod off?

If you are lucky, you will wake up before you lose control of your car and go off the side of the road, or into oncoming traffic. If not, you could end up in the morgue, or someone else could too.

Drowsy driving is blamed for 36% of deadly crashes in the United States. In England, the government there found 20% of deadly or serious crashes were caused by drivers who were tired or suffering from a sleep disorder like insomnia. Some researchers conclude that driving while your tired is as dangerous as driving drunk. I can attest to this. Once, I had been up for more than 24 hours. I had one beer at a party, and two hours later, I felt like I had drank about six.

Here are some simple things we all should do to make sure we are fit to get behind the wheel:

-Remember that most adults need 7-8 hours sleep.

-Don't think you'll get away with three or four

-Share driving with others if possible

-Plan lots of rest breaks along the way

-Make sure you are well rested before getting behind the while

-Read maps to make sure you know where you are going, if you are traveling in a strange city.

The combination of fatigue and confusion in a place you're not familiar with can be deadly

Drowsy driving is often a result of insomnia. Jeff Farley looks at how to get more sleep in his book Stop Insomnia . Click here to read about it