As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), number of cases of falling asleep while driving is on rise leading to large number of accidents.

As per the data, one in 24 adults fall asleep while they drive and is one of the major causes of road accidents and deaths. The health officials said that the number is even higher than that is reported as many people are unaware when they sleep for some seconds while driving.

CDC derived the figures from questionnaire about sleep deprivation that was given by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) during 2009-2010. The questionnaire was responded to by some 147,076 people from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

The phenomenon was more prevalent among adults while the number was less in the older people. Comparison on grounds of sex asserted that men were more likely to sleep while driving than women as 5.3% men were reported to sleep while driving in comparison to 3.2%.

"A lot of people are getting insufficient sleep," said Dr. Gregory Belenky, the Director of Washington State University's Sleep and Performance Research Center in Spokane. So, the experts are suggesting people who drive often should take seven to nine hours of sleep, avoid taking alcohol and get their sleep disorders treated.