Safety, Not Snooze at The Wheel

A tired driver is a dangerous driver. Sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases aggressiveness. Just like driving drunk or drugged, drowsy driving causes you to make mistakes behind the wheel that can injure or kill the driver, passengers or total strangers.

Signs of drowsy driving
A recent US study showed that 20 percent of crashes and 12 percent of near-crashes were caused by drowsy drivers. How did the researchers determine a driver was drowsy? Each of 100 vehicles was outfitted with five cameras that linked to computers to record driver action and reaction. Monitoring the drivers for more than one year and nearly 2 million miles of driving, researchers determined that the drivers were drowsy if their eyes closed for longer than a blink, or if their heads bobbed forward and then bolted back upright. Also [EurocarsMazda] making the cut were drivers who didn’t move at all, staring fixedly ahead instead of reacting to oncoming traffic or checking the rearview or sideview mirrors. (Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

How to avoid falling asleep behind the wheel
Here are the top 10 things to do to avoid falling asleep at the wheel
1. Stop driving if you feel sleepy. Stop and drink a caffeinated beverage.

2. Since it takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream and take effect, use that time to take a nap.

3. Get plenty of sleep the night before taking a long trip, at least six hours, though more is better.

4. Don’t plan to work all day and then drive all night.

5. Drive at times when you are normally awake, and stay overnight in a hotel or motel rather than driving straight through.

6. Avoid driving at so-called sleepy times of day. Take a midafternoon break for a short nap and find a place to sleep between midnight and dawn. If you can’t nap, at least stop your drive and rest for awhile.

7. Avoid carbohydrate-laden foods that can make you sleepy, in favor of protein-laden foods.

8. Avoid allergy and cold or flu medications containing Diphenhydramine, such as Benadryl, which can contribute to drowsiness. And don’t take prescribed sleep aids, such as Ambien, until you are finished driving for the day.

9. On long trips, keep an awake passenger in the front seat. Increasing the volume on the car stereo is not a substitute for somebody you can talk to.

10. Take a break every two hours or every 100-200 Kilometers, even if you don’t need a pit stop or fuel. Get out of the car, take some deep breaths and do some stretching exercises, especially neck and shoulders, to relieve cramping and stress. And try to set a limit of 300-400 miles of driving per day.

For more safety advice, please visit our site EurocarsMazda and check out other EurocarsMazda posts.