Posted on 12/31/2003 2:40:21 AM PST by Dallas59
Toast the New Year With 7-Eleven® Free Coffee
Free Fresh Java Will Rev Up Drowsy Drivers
Dallas, TX, December 30, 2003 - After a night of New Year’s revelry, party-goers who stop at participating 7-Eleven® stores can ring in the New Year with a fresh, free, hot, cup of coffee. For the 16th year, the convenience retailer will host its “Free Coffee on New Year’s Eve” program during the overnight hours. [Times vary by area. See attached chart for locations and times.] Stores in various areas of the country will participate in the program, which was designed to help combat the increase in drowsy driving that occurs during the holiday. The offer includes 7-Eleven stores’ Café Select regular and flavored coffee, gourmet specialties such as cappuccino, and hot chocolate. Participating stores will display a sign on the front window announcing information about the free-coffee program.
“A lot of people stay up later than they are used to on New Year’s Eve, and a hot cup of coffee may make their drive home safer,” said Kris Nelson, manager, Coffee/Café Cooler. “We also want to thank our customers who have made 7-Eleven coffee so popular.”
Driving while drowsy can be as hazardous as driving while intoxicated. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that conservatively 100,000 crashes, 40,000 injuries and 1,500 fatalities yearly are caused by drivers who are asleep.
To date, 7-Eleven stores across the United States have given away more than a million cups of coffee since starting the free-coffee program in 1988. But that’s a drop in the cup compared to 365 million cups of coffee the retailer sells a year…almost 10,000 pots per hour, every day of the year.
Free Coffee On New Year’s Eve – Participating Areas State - City/Area(s) Size Cup Offered Hours for Free Coffee Colorado – Denver, Aurora, Loveland, Ft. Collins, Longmont, Greeley, Evans, Commerce City, Brighton, Sterling, Ft. Morgan, Brush, Yuma, Wray, Federal Heights, Thornton, Westminster, Broomfield, Northglenn, Boulder, Arvada, Louisville, Lafayette, Colorado Springs, Pueblo 12-oz. Midnight - 4 a.m. Connecticut 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Illinois – Chicago 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Indiana – South Bend 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Kansas - Kansas City 12-oz. 11 p.m. - 4 a.m. Maine 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Massachusetts – Boston 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Michigan – Detroit 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Missouri – Kansas City, St. Louis 12-oz. 11 p.m. - 4 a.m. New Hampshire 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. New York – Buffalo 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Ohio – Toledo 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Pennsylvania – Philadelphia 16-oz. Midnight - 6 a.m. Rhode Island 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Texas – Austin, Temple, Killeen, Hillsboro and Copperas Cove 12-oz. 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. Texas - Dallas, Plano and Richardson 12-oz. Midnight - 4 a.m. Utah – Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and Utah counties 12-oz. 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. Vermont 12-oz. 6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
According to a report published in 1996 by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the greatest proportion of drowsy-driving crashes occur during the late-night hours and a higher proportion of the most serious crashes are related to drowsiness.
WARNING SIGNS OF DROWSY DRIVING: You feel drowsy. You can’t stop yawning. Your eyes burn or feel strained. You have difficulty keeping your eyes open and focused. You can’t remember driving the last few miles. You have trouble keeping your head up. You drift from your lane or hit a rumble strip. You have wandering or disconnected thoughts. You tailgate or miss traffic signs. You keep jerking your vehicle back into the lane.
TIPS TO STAY ALERT: Get proper sleep prior to the holiday. Take a friend along to help keep you awake. Take frequent breaks when driving long distances. Drink a caffeinated beverage for short-term alertness.
DROWSY DRIVING FACTS: Thirty-seven percent of drivers have nodded off for at least a moment or fallen asleep while driving at least once in their driving career. Eight percent have done so within the past six months. Nodding off or falling asleep is most prevalent among drivers age 21-29 (13%) and males (11%) and least prevalent among drivers over age 64 (4%) and females (5%). Shift workers whose sleep is disrupted by working at night or working long or irregular hours are also at risk.
RISK FACTORS FOR DROWSY-DRIVING CRASHES: Sleep loss. Driving patterns, including driving between midnight and 6 a.m.; driving a substantial number of miles each year/or a substantial number of hours each day; driving in the late afternoon hours (especially for older persons); and driving for longer times without taking a break. Use of sedating medications, especially prescribed anxiolytic hypnotics, tricyclic antidepressants, and some antihistamines. Untreated or unrecognized sleep disorders. Consumption of alcohol, which interacts with and adds to drowsiness.
Fun Facts About 7-Eleven Coffee 7-Eleven sells around 365 million cups of coffee a year. That's almost 10,000 pots an hour, every day of the year. Until 7-Eleven began testing coffee-by-the-cup in its East Coast stores in the mid-'60s, coffee drinkers had to make their own at home or go out to a restaurant. 7-Eleven stores were one of the first retailers to grind coffee beans right in the store to ensure the freshest cup of java around. Coffee ranks second, behind soft drinks as the most popular drink among U.S. adults. 60 percent of all coffee customers shop between 5 and 10 a.m. It takes three to five years for a tree to produce coffee. Each tree yields about one pound of coffee per year. About 40 percent of coffee consumers drink their coffee black. The majority, 60 percent, add a sweetener or creamer.
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