Drowsy driving was responsible for 40% of deaths in road accidents, according to a report of Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). According to another study, these estimates are significantly understated, with up to 6,000 fatal crashes caused by tired driving occurring each year. Sleep deprivation can impair your reaction time, judgment, and capacity to concentrate, which is especially harmful if you are driving. Whether you’re planning a long road trip or not, you should read these suggestions on how to avoid drowsy driving. You may feel you can prevent yourself from falling asleep while driving in a fatigued state, but you cannot. You might not even realize you’ve fallen asleep. This is more likely if you are sleep-deprived, driving long distances without stopping, traveling at night, driving alone, riding lengthy rural roadways, taking sleep-inducing medication, or consuming alcohol. Here are some ways with which, you can prevent fatal situations-
What to do to avoid falling asleep?
If you’re like most people, your first stop after starting your long journey is for coffee. Caffeine, energy drinks, and other methods may momentarily revitalize you, but they are unreliable and do not function for lengthy periods of time. Make sure you’ve had several nights of 7 to 9 hours of sleep in a row to prepare for lengthy travel. You’ll be revitalized and ready to go. You may be tempted to avoid taking pauses in order to arrive at your destination as quickly as possible, but breaks allow you to get out of the car, walk around, and stretch. Make time to eat and wake up. You might even be able to fit in a 20-minute sleep. If you’re traveling with others, you should definitely take turns driving. This will allow you to unwind and catch some Zzz. If you can’t remember the last few moments of driving, are continually yawning, or can’t keep your eyes focused, either hand the wheel over to someone else or pullover for sleep.
What not to do?
Many individuals believe that opening the window, listening to loud music, or conversing on the phone keeps them awake and prevents drowsiness. Although they may appear to “function,” they are actually quite dangerous since they divert your attention away from driving, which requires your whole attention. These “tricks” can offer you a false sense of security, making you believe you’re safe to drive when you actually should stop. Don’t rely on road trip techniques to get you through. Share driving responsibilities with someone else, or if you’re flying solo, pull over and take a little nap. If you frequently find yourself tired while driving, you should consult your doctor. It could be due to a medical problem like sleep apnea. Try some of these methods to stay awake while driving. Also, if you frequently find yourself feeling tired while driving, don’t be afraid to look into alternative modes of transportation.
Conclusion
While getting enough sleep each night may help to prevent some of these accidents, drivers should also educate themselves on the warning signs of sleepy driving and take precautions to stay awake and cautious behind the wheel. These include not driving if you are under the influence of alcohol, pain relievers, or sleep-inducing prescriptions, and avoiding the road at periods of the day when people are most susceptible to sleepiness. Drowsy driving might be an indication of an underlying sleep issue in some circumstances. Furthermore, some driving settings increase the likelihood of drowsy driving-related incidents. The majority of these collisions happen in the late afternoon or between the hours of 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. Both of these times correspond to natural energy dips that are regulated by your circadian clock, an internal timekeeping mechanism that regulates sleep, eating, and other biological processes. Many drowsy drivers are not carrying passengers when they crash, and a considerable percentage of these accidents occur on rural roads and highways.
