Driving while you’re feeling drowsy or sleepy is one of the significant safety hazards that has caused many accidents. According to National High Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), they estimate out of 91,000 accidents, and about 800 of them were fatalities due to someone was driving while feeling drowsy. It is essential to get proper rest before you start driving so you don’t put your life or anyone else’s life in danger.
While having enough sleep will help on reducing potential drowsy accidents, all drivers should educate themselves on the warning signs of drowsy driving.
Here we will go over the cause of drowsiness and what to do to prevent it.
What Causes Drowsiness?
Drowsiness while driving means any person that is driving suddenly feels tired or sleepy. The effects of drowsiness include:
- Impaired Attention
- Slow reaction time
- Poor judgment
Drivers can feel drowsiness in a couple of different ways. The most common is lack of sleep; when a driver doesn’t get a whole night’s rest, they will become exhausted.
Other causes are drinking alcohol, feeling bored or tired, and having to drive long distances. If you are experiencing the onset of drowsiness, you might feel.
- Like you want to yawn a lot
- You keep nodding off
- Missing exits
- Drifting lanes
What To Do If You’re Drowsy
If you feel that you suddenly get tired or sleep or experience any other warning signs. Then you should find a safe place to stop.
Try pulling into a rest stop or somewhere safe that will allow you to park the car. Then you can take a quick 20-minute nap so you can feel refreshed and alert.
Do keep in mind that if you drink coffee or any other caffeine beverage, they will only give you an energy boost for a short amount of time. Once it wears off, you will start to feel sleepy and tired again.
Some tips you can do before you start driving to feel drowsy include:
Getting Enough Sleep
If you’re between the ages of 18 and 64, you should be getting between seven to nine hours of sleep per day.
For drivers who receive less than seven hours of sleep are at a higher risk of becoming in a drowsy driving accident.
Don’t Drink and Drive.
Drinking and driving will not only make you feel tired after a certain amount of time, but it will also put you and others around you at risk of an accident.
Suppose you know that you’re going to be drinking beforehand. Try leaving your car and take a taxi to the destination and drink.
However, if you have to take your car, try spending the night and wait until you are not impaired anymore.
As a new driver or a person learning how to drive, making sure you don’t feel tired behind the wheel may save your life. If you need a fantastic DMV driving school, go to A1 Driving School and start your lessons today.
