During long distance trips, many drivers continue to drive, even if they feel drowsy and overly tired. In fact, about a third of regular long distance drivers admit that they fell asleep at least once when driving. This could happen more likely to long haul truck drivers. There’s no debate as to how risky it’s to continue driving when you are very tired. Even if you manage to stay awake, your reaction, reflexes and decision making process will be impaired. It doesn’t take an extensive study to get a conclusion that sleep deprivation is a bad thing that can happen to any driver. You should make sure that your blood alcohol concentration doesn’t exceed the value set by regulations. A combination of tiredness and alcohol consumption can be quite dangerous for you.
If you have been awake for more than 18 hours straight, your body will exhibit symptoms of weariness. It is the time when you can be seen as being impaired. It is obviously dangerous if you can’t manage your rest schedule. It is important to make sure that you are able to always be at the top of the game. On long hauls, boredom and monotonous driving routine will work against you. If you start to get tired, it is a good thing to find the nearest rest area or gas station, where you can park, take a walk for a while and then take a short nap. You should make sure that your regular sleep cycles can be maintained. In long-distance trips, it can be quite challenging to properly maintain good nutrition level.
You should know how to deal with boredom after driving for miles. The constant hum of engine and tires could make you to feel drowsy after a few hours of driving. This can happen no matter how tough and strong willed you are. If you think that staying awake is an uphill battle, then it is a good sign that your body need a proper rest. If you do things properly, you should be able to win the battle every time. If you continue driving, you will start to have micro naps, which is a dangerous situation.
Even a second of brief sleep may mean that your car is travelling for several meters without control. It may not be particularly dangerous on straight, wide and empty roads; but you may have micro-naps at sharp turns on narrow road with oncoming traffic. A lot of things can happen in more extreme situations. You should be aware of body signals that indicate you need some shut-eye. You need to know no matter how brief it is, the situation can be particularly dangerous when you doze off. If you spend too many hours driving, you may have slower reflexes, impaired coordination, memory lapses, inattention and impaired judgment. Any of these symptoms can become a sole reason to an accident. The risk of accident will be higher if you have two or more of these symptoms while driving.
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