Drowsy Driving
If you have ever dozed off while driving your car you’re not alone. A 2007 study found that an estimated 2.3 million U.S. drivers have dozed off behind the wheel at some point in their lives. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America poll, 60% of Americans have driven while feeling sleepy and 37% admit to actually having fallen asleep at the wheel in the past year. Now, those are some scary statistics because driving while sleepy doesn’t put the driver and their passengers in jeopardy but everyone on the road around them as well. Driver tiredness is linked to over 96 fatal traffic collisions per year and leads to countless more serious injuries.
Drowsiness while driving can happen to just about anyone at anytime. While most people are only concerned with dozing off while driving home late at night; people can fall asleep at the wheel on the way to work or during an afternoon drive after an exhausting day. In fact, drowsy driving is so dangerous, that after staying awake for 24 hours straight, you’re as impaired as if you are over the legal drinking limit.
Here are some signs furnished by the National Sleep Foundation to help you recognize when you may be too sleepy to drive:
• Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids
• Daydreaming; wandering/disconnected thoughts
• Trouble remembering the last few miles driven; missing exits or traffic signs
• Yawning repeatedly or rubbing your eyes
• Trouble keeping your head up
• Drifting from your lane, tailgating, or hitting a shoulder rumble strip
• Feeling restless and irritable
If you get sleepy while driving there are many different tips available that can help you get home safely. But, leaving your window open is not a good strategy. Cold wind blowing in through your door is not proven to reduce the incidences of accidents due to drowsy driving. Also, turning up your radio is not a good solution. Having a loud car radio will not deter you from crashing into another car.
Here are some effective tips recommended by the National Sleep Foundation:
• For maximum alertness, get enough sleep before your trip. Take a mid-afternoon break, and avoid driving between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
• Take a passenger to keep you talking, watch for signs of sleepiness, and share the driving.
• Schedule a break every two hours or 100 miles to take a quick nap or get some exercise.
• Consume a caffeinated drink or food to boost your short-term alertness.
