BANGOR – Teenagers, because they need more sleep than many of them are getting, are being targeted by a national safety group to reduce high risk for sleep-induced vehicle crashes.

Area educators and safety personnel will hear several presentations today on ways to lower the potential dangers of driving while fatigued.

“Due to young adults’ hectic schedules and their need for a lot of sleep, they are among the most vulnerable people for sleep-induced crashes,” Adele Kristiansson, director of marketing and legislative affairs for the National Road Safety Foundation, said Thursday in a telephone interview.

Kristiansson will give two presentations, starting at 9:15 a.m., at the Spectacular Event Center.

The goal of the program is to promote traffic safety through driver competence and to target teen drivers, she said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, fatigued driving causes 100,000 crashes a year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities.

Four fatigue-related crashes occurred in 2004 in Maine, according to Kristiansson.

“The brain is an opportunistic sleeper,” she said. “As soon as you position yourself in a somewhat comfortable environment, your brain says, ‘Great, I’m going to sleep.'”

Kristiansson said that most people do not understand that fatigue impairs their brain just as much as alcohol.

“If you pull an all-nighter – say studying for an exam – in the morning, it is equivalent to taking that exam drunk,” Kristiansson said.

The presentations will involve viewing award-winning films and public service announcements. Participants also will receive training in interactive exercises and teaching techniques that they can use in their communities.

Paying attention to the warning signs of fatigue, such as crankiness, yawning and a wandering mind, can play a big role in preventing sleep-induced crashes.

If a person exhibits signs of fatigue, immediate action needs to be taken, the safety official said.

“Get a caffeine drink, like coffee, Red Bull or soda. Pull over in a safe area and take a 20-minute nap. When you wake up, you will have gotten enough rest and the caffeine will have kicked in. It won’t get you to California, but you should be able to drive safely for 45 more minutes,” Kristiansson advised.

If you find yourself in a situation where you must drive, the best thing you can do is have an alert passenger with you, someone who can talk to you and keep you awake, she recommended.

Sometimes more serious action is warranted.

“The worst thing you can do is tell someone ‘call me when you get home,’ because you may never get that call,” Kristiansson warned. “Keep them with you, don’t let them go. People need to start monitoring friends and don’t let them drive fatigued just like you wouldn’t let them drive if they were drunk.”

Another goal of the foundation is to establish a national driver education curriculum. One way that the foundation is trying to accomplish this is by setting up the “Half A Penny for Life” program.

“This is a tax program where for every gallon of gasoline a driver puts in their car, a half of a penny would go to a fund,” Kristiansson said.

The money would go as a financial incentive for high schools to set up a driver safety curriculum.

“If you make a mistake in your car, it could kill you and it could kill other people,” Kristiansson said.

The National Road Safety Foundation also urges people to visit its Web site at www.nationalroadsafety.org, or call toll free (866) 723-3728 for information.