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What to think about before your road trip

You may want to go home or start vacation right after finals. But wait! Little sleep, and driving at night with few breaks can cause a tragedy. Drowsy driving is just as dangerous as driving drunk. Like drugs or alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of a crash. Thus, before your trip, you should:

  • Get a good night's sleep. The average person requires about 8 hours of sleep a night. Plan to drive during times of day when you are normally awake and stay overnight rather than traveling straight through.
  • Avoid driving during your body's "down time." Take a mid-afternoon break and find a place to sleep between midnight and 6 AM.
  • Get a companion for a long trip. Passengers can talk with you, help look for early warning signs of fatigue and provide a change of drivers when needed. ( If you don't have a companion, please try to carpool at Cornell Marketplace )
  • Schedule regular stops, every 100 miles or 2 hours.
  • Avoid alcohol and medications that may impair performance. Alcohol interacts with fatigue; increasing its effects - just like drinking on an empty stomach.
  • Consult your physicians or a local sleep disorders center for diagnosis and treatment if you suffer frequent daytime sleepiness, have difficulty sleeping at night often, and/or snore loudly every night.

Source: National Sleep Foundation

Where do you want to go from Ithaca?

You're correct. You don't get plenty of sleep.

Chances are good that you really aren't getting all the sleep you need. If you said "True," ask yourself: "Do I wake up rested?" The average person needs seven or eight hours of sleep a night. If you go to bed late and wake up early to an alarm clock, you probably are building up a sleep deficit during the week. If you spend eight hours in bed but still feel tired, you may have a disorder preventing you from getting enough sleep. Whatever the cause, avoid driving when you feel drowsy. Rearrange your schedule so you get enough sleep during the week.
Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Destination

Miles

Hours

Needed Breaks

New York City

223.7

4hrs.35min.

2

Boston

347.4

6hrs.47min.

3

Chicago

680.9

13hrs.3min.

6

Washington DC

353.5

7hrs.3min.

3

Philadelphia

230.8

4hrs.38min.

2

Baltimore

309.8

6hrs.2min.

3

Florida

1231.0

23hrs.45min.

One Night

* If you want to calculate miles and hours for your destination, try MAPQUEST


 

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