On the Road: Watch out for these DANGER SIGNS of drowsy driving You yawn repeatedly You have difficulty keeping your eyes open and focused You can't remember the last few miles driven You have trouble keeping your head up You drift from your lane or hit a rumble strip You experience wandering or disconnected thoughts You tailgate or miss traffic signs You keep jerking your vehicle back into the lane These warning signs are a RED ALERT! You could fall asleep at any second and cannot predict when a microsleep may occur. THE ONLY SURE WAY TO AVOID A DROWSY DRIVING CRASH IS TO GET OFF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AND TAKE A NAP. Source: Powersleep www.powersleep org DO DON'T Pull off the road into a safe area and take a brief nap (15 to 20 minutes) Drink coffee or another source of caffeine to promote short-term alertness. (It takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream.) After your nap, getting some exercise may also help. Rely on "tricks" to keep you awake, such as opening the window or turning up the radio. They don't work ! Depend on caffeine alone when you are drowsy. It can't take the place of sleep! Pull over on the shoulder of a highway. It could be dangerous. When you feel drowsy on a highway, stop at a rest place or get off the highway at the closest exit.) Leave the car running with the windows tightly closed. Keep the windows open a crack for adequate ventilation. That's right! Stimulants are no substitute for sleep. Drinks containing caffeine, such as coffee or cola can help you feel more alert, but the effects last only for a short time. If you drink coffee and are seriously sleep-deprived, you are still likely to have "micro-sleeps" -- brief naps that last around four or five seconds. At 55 miles an hour, that's more than 100 yards, and plenty of time to kill you. Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Top of the Page Go Back to Home