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NSC's Recommendations to Avoid Fatigued Driving - Don't Sleep & Drive! |
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Fatigue behind the wheel is a very real danger, even if you’ve never experienced it firsthand. The National Safety Council offers these tips for staying awake while driving: - An obvious cause of fatigue is lack of sleep. Get enough rest. Don’t start a trip late in the day. - If possible, don’t drive alone. Passengers can take turns driving and also serve as conversation partners to keep you awake. - Avoid long drives at night. The glare of lights, both on your dashboard and outside your car, increases the danger of highway hypnosis. - Adjust your car’s environment to keep you awake and alert. Keep the temperature cool, with open windows or air conditioning in the summer and frugal amounts of heat in the winter. Turn the radio volume up, and switch stations frequently, but avoid soft, sleep-inducing music. Do not use cruise control; keep your body involved with the driving. - Watch your posture. Drive with your head up and your shoulders back. Tuck your buttocks against the seat back. Legs should not be fully extended, but flexed at about a 45-degree angle. - Take frequent breaks. At least every two hours, stop at a gas station, restaurant or rest stop. Get out of the car, walk around, jog or do calisthenics. Exercise fights fatigue. - In addition to exercise breaks, stop for light meals and snacks. Avoid alcohol entirely. - Don’t allow your
eyes to become fatigued or hypnotized. Wear sunglasses during
the day to fight glare. If anti-fatigue measures fail and you
start noticing signs of fatigue - sleep. Find a safe, guarded
rest area, truck stop or service station. Even a 20-minute nap
may refresh you enough to get to a hotel or motel. This is an
emergency measure. Do not try it as a common driving technique.
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Reprinted from The Reconstructor, Newsletter of Boster, Kobayashi & Associates, Fall 2006. |
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