As Daylight Savings Time takes effect Sunday, the St. Lawrence County Traffic and Safety program is reminding drivers to stay alert.

According to the agency, driving while sleep deprived can be as dangerous as driving while intoxicated, with drivers under age 25 at highest risk.

In a release the agency said drowsiness impairs drivers by slowing their reaction time, making them less attentive and hampering their decision-making ability.

"Even a brief moment of nodding off while driving can be extremely dangerous. At 60 mph, a single second can mean traveling about 88 feet — the length of two school buses," the release says.

The New York Partnership for Teen Driving Safety and the St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety Program encourage parents to use the Stay Awake Stay Alive –Don’t Drive Drowsy brochure available at www.health.ny.gov/publications/3069.pdf to discuss the warning signs of drowsy driving and what to do to prevent a car crash involving their teens.

For more information on teens and sleep, visit www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep.