By Caryn Schulenberg
We have all heard of drinking and driving, texting and driving, and putting on makeup while driving. They are all forms of distracted driving, but there is another form of distracted driving that can often be even more deadly than these…driving tired. Just the other day, I heard about a head-on collision where it is believed that one of the drivers fell asleep at the wheel. Both drivers in this accident were killed, and both passengers are in critical condition. This accident was in Wyoming, but it could have been anywhere. Driving tired is not limited to the states with wide open spaces and long distances between towns.
The biggest problem with driving tired is that all too often the tired driver falls asleep and never knows that they are drifting out of their lane. Driving tired is not limited to people who have not slept enough. There are many factors that can come into play when feeling fatigued behind the wheel. Things like boring terrain, being overworked, bright skies, and even just a lack of stops to stretch, can change a pleasant trip to a tragedy in a matter of seconds. Anything that makes your eyes feel heave is dangerous. Sometimes, you may not even realize that you have a tendency to fall asleep in the car, but if you know that you have that tendency, you need to tell the people in the car with you, so they can drive, or talk to you and keep an eye on you, or at least give you frequent breaks.
These days, there are products that can help you stay awake. From No-Doz, to coffee, to other caffeinated products that help people stay awake, but in reality, there is no better preventative than getting enough sleep, especially the night before a long drive. In addition, frequent breaks to get out and walk around will help you stay awake. All that is good, but everyone in the car needs to pay attention to the driver. Making conversation and making sure that the driver gets regular breaks will help make sure that they are awake and alert on the road. Driving is a responsibility and driving responsibly is vital to the safety of everyone on the road. The simple things we can do to prevent accidents, like putting down the phone while driving, avoiding distracted driving, and staying awake while driving, are all the most simple ways to stay alive while on the road.