Let App WinIt fight your ticket.
Driving drowsy can be just as dangerous as driving drunk. If you’re too tired or sleepy to stay awake, it’s time to stop driving. This article will cover the warning signs of drowsy driving, what to do if you find yourself in a drowsy driving situation, and how to keep yourself and others safe.
Signs That You Are Tired on the Road
It’s not always easy to tell when you’re sleepy. Sometimes, you might not even realize that you’ve been nodding off every couple seconds. As far as you know, everything could be going just fine. But there are a number of warning signs to keep an eye out for:
- Frequent yawning and/or rubbing your eyes.
- Somebody honking at you followed by you realizing that your driving is erratic.
- Not remembering the last few miles.
- Accidentally following too closely (sometimes you blink and it looks like the car in front of you got closer).
- A wandering mind (maybe you can’t seem to stay focused on the road).
- Drifting over onto the shoulder or rumble strips or drifting into another lane.
- A heavy feeling in your eyelids or difficulty holding your head upright.
If you begin to experience any of these signs, especially if you experience multiple at once, you might be a little too sleepy to drive safely. In that case, you’ll need to take action immediately to ensure your safety and that of others.
What to Do If You Are Tired on the Road
When you’re too tired to keep driving, the best thing you can do is to stop driving. But that doesn’t mean to just stop in the middle of the road and take a nap in the back seat. No, there’s more to it than that.
If you’re on a major road or highway, pull over at the next exit or rest stop. If there aren’t any exits within a five-minute driving distance, the safest option might be to pull over onto the side of the road (far off into the grass) and park your car.
Be sure to remember to lock your car to prevent yourself or your valuables from being harmed.
Before you begin your nap, make sure to turn your hazard lights on to alert other cars that you are not moving and that you pulled over to a safer position.
Tips to Staying Awake While Driving
If you struggle to stay awake while driving or if you have a long drive ahead of you and no time for rest stops, then don’t fret! There are a few things you can do to maintain the energy you need for a safe and reliable journey.
Caffeine
Drinking caffeine is one of the most common ways anybody in the United States keeps up their energy levels. Caffeine is found in coffee and energy drinks and helps boost your alertness, which can be particularly helpful while driving.
But be careful with how much caffeine you drink. Caffeine is habit-forming and drinking too much can lead to a caffeine dependence. Another thing to worry about with caffeine is the fact that its effects peter out after a few hours, sometimes leading to a drop in energy and the need for more caffeine to keep going.
Schedule Your Drive
Scheduling your drive in advance helps to ensure that you get the right amount of sleep beforehand. Impromptu road trips may be fun and all, but the lack of scheduling can often result in sleepy driving due to lack of sleep the night before or lack of planning.
Deciding when you’re going to rent a hotel or nap at a rest stop is a crucial part of any long-distance drive. This is a fact that professional truck drivers know quite well. Before taking on long hauls, they will often schedule out their route, determining which truck stops they’d like to sleep at along the way.
Have a Passenger Ride with You
Having somebody to talk to and—if necessary—shake you awake can be a great help when driving tired. Fun conversations with people we care about often helps to keep up our energy levels. Just make sure that the passenger riding with you isn’t a total bore. Boring conversation with people we hardly like can easily lull us to sleep.
Play Music
Listening to your favorite songs can help keep you energized and ready to drive for hours on end, provided that those songs are upbeat. Slow, somber songs can have the opposite effect, putting you to sleep more quickly. A good rule of thumb is to play the kind of music that makes you want to sing along.
Keep the Car Cool
Humans generally like to sleep when they’re warm and cozy. It’s probably a holdover from our caveman days of sleeping around the fire. So, when you keep the car cool or even cold, your body is less likely to want to go to sleep.
If your air conditioning doesn’t work but you still need to make the long drive or a drive late at night when you’re tired, consider rolling your windows down. The breeze from the passing wind will help keep the temperature inside your vehicle down and provide some physical stimulation to help keep you awake.
Eat Something
Grab a snack! Eating something light like a bag of chips can help keep the mind occupied long enough for you to get where you need to go, in most cases. Sometimes, like your car, your body is going to need a little more fuel than just what you can get from a bag of chips. In that case, you might want to consider eating a nice, hot meal prior to getting on the road.
