Drowsy Driving (continued)

Sleepiness leads to crashes because it impairs human performance. Such impairments include slower reaction time, reduced vigilance and deficits in information processing. (“Drowsy Driving & Automobile Crashes”)

 

A typical crash related to sleepiness has one or more of the following characteristics (“Drowsy Driving & Automobile Crashes”):

• Crash occurs late at night, early in the morning or midafternoon
• Crash is likely to be serious
• A single vehicle leaves the roadway
• Crash occurs on a high speed road
• The driver does not attempt to avoid a crash
• The driver is alone in the vehicle

It helps to stop every couple of hours, get out and walk around for 15 to 20 minutes. It won’t add much time to your trip and it just might prevent a serious accident.

Pack up some snacks and take with you – its another good way to combat fatigue.

Try to have a companion with you to share the driving. You can spell each other at the wheel, engage in conversations, and let the passenger mess with the radio, GPS, etc.