Americans support federal funding for highway safety improvements, a recent national poll reports. The State Highway Safety Alliance (SHSA) and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company poll found that 87 percent of Americans believe safety improvements are needed, according to a statement by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association. The study, released in March, also revealed that 77 percent of respondents believe they are always safe drivers, though 85 percent of those same motorists admit to sometimes or frequently exceeding the speed limit. Respondents acknowledge they also fail to properly manage distractions such as the radio (69 percent) and cell phones (44 percent) while driving. The poll reinforces studies from other agencies that highlight unsafe driving practices. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) found that about 50 percent of America’s drivers said they’ve driven while feeling drowsy. About 17 percent admitted to actually falling asleep at the wheel. The statement did not specify if the poll identified specific types of highway improvements. The poll was conducted December 3-December 31, 2003 by Western Wats, an independent survey firm, for Nationwide Insurance and the State Highway Safety Alliance. Six hundred fifty DMV-issued driver's license holders polled; margin of error +/-3.84 percent.