Arrive awake
Have you ever driven for a while and suddenly felt a bit sleepy or have you ever just felt like you are fast asleep but your eyes wide open?
It’s called fatigue and almost all drivers have experienced it at one point in their driving lives.
Others have lived to tell the tale and unfortunately, others have not. We would need to understand what fatigue is to know how best we can deal with it and not be caught unaware.
It would be obvious to assume that fatigue affects long distance drivers only but even short distance drivers can also be affected. Driving when one has not had enough sleep is the primary cause of driver fatigue. If you plan on driving for a long distance, it is wise to sleep and get enough rest before the long journey.
Many people like drinking and driving and even though they stay below the limit, alcohol takes its toll on the body. Naturally, alcohol makes one tired and they become easy targets to fatigue. It is advisable therefore to leave alcohol out of the equation and perhaps take energy drinks instead.
As I mentioned, lack of sleep is the biggest cause of fatigue while driving. I should mention that quality sleep is as important as a good balanced diet.
Without it, it’s hard to be well prepared for that long drive. It’s at times like these where most of us drive long distances to be with family and friends, accidents are on their highest and most of them are caused by exhaustion and lack of concentration which is why it’s important to deal with fatigue the moment one feels like they are zoning out. At times, however it’s nothing to do with lack of sleep but driving at night. The body naturally has its sleep patterns and when its sleep time, it goes into limp mode.
Many accidents are caused by driver fatigue. Drivers just become dazed, they start yawning and eyes become heavy.
It’s easy to think that you are still in your normal state when driving but once you start yawning, it’s good to take a rest and leave nothing to chance. That’s why you find rest stops all over the highways. Take some time to regain your consciousness because once fatigue hits, your reaction slows down and you become less attentive, that’s when you start feeling like you are wide awake when you are fast asleep.
It may seem like driver fatigue is a small issue but how it affects one’s driving makes the whole difference. It slows reaction times and drivers lose concentration on the road. These are the basic requirements for a safe driving environment.
To counter this ailment called fatigue it is essential to first of all stay away from alcoholic beverages. Be in your sober state, a single glass of alcohol may not make you drunk but will invite driver fatigue in no time.
Enough sleep is essential as well, make it a habit to get a good night’s sleep before heading off on a long journey.
Going against your sleeping habits may also be a bad idea so driving during the day for some drivers is safer than night driving. It doesn’t rule out fatigue during the day however.
For every hour or two that you drive its in your good interests to take breaks and stretch your legs, it will keep the fatigue at bay. We always have those passengers with bad habits that always fall asleep and leave the driver to
talk to himself, they too should take breaks to stretch so they can help the driver stay awake. There’s always an exception for co-drivers, of course they do need to rest while the other takes over.
Another thing is to be sure never to be too comfortable, do not get too comfortable when driving.
Too much heat is not good, turn down the heat in your car to a cool temperature that won’t have you dozing off. Sometimes opening windows helps to keep the fatigue away.
Lastly do not ever ignore fatigue symptoms, when you start yawning it’s time to take a break or a power nap, it will save you all the trouble.
Make it a habit to choose to rest whenever you feel tired or you feel your eyes become heavy.
Choose a safe spot, nap for a few minutes and you will be fresh to continue with the long journey. Drive safely.