Driver Fatigue During Holiday Travel

The holiday season is a time when people are doing a lot of highway driving and one thing to be aware of is driver fatigue. It is one of the most unnerving experiences in driving. You've been on the road awhile. The highway seems endless-long, smooth, monotonous. The car interior is warm. You're tired, the radio isn't holding your attention, and neither is the driving. You stare straight ahead at miles and miles of road as you start to feel your shoulders sag and your eyes slowly…start…close.

Abruptly, you open your eyes and jerk up in your seat. You've started to drift out of your lane, or maybe even off the road but steer your car back into the lane, take a few deep breathes and realize fearfully what just happened. You were asleep.

Fatigue on the road can be a killer. It happens frequently on long rides especially long night drives. You may have recognized some warning signs of fatigue in the foregoing scenario. Other signs of fatigue include back tension, burning eyes, shallow breathing, inattentiveness and any kind of erratic driving such as drifting, abnormal speed, tailgating, or failure to obey traffic signs.

One cause of fatigue is alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a depressant and a driver doesn't have to be drunk to fall asleep at the wheel. Even one drink can be enough to induce fatigue.

Another culprit is the nature of modern highway driving. Most car interiors have comfortable cushioned seats, in quiet carpeted temperature-regulated environments. Many vehicles have cruise control. Most major roads have been engineered to eliminate sharp curves, hills and bumps. Ironically these designs for comfort contribute to falling asleep at the wheel.

Additionally, dull landscapes, the droning of tires and engines, and the repetitive patterns of oncoming headlights, trees, poles, and highway center lines can lead to a dangerous trance-like state known as "highway hypnosis," which deadens drivers' senses and slows their reaction time.

Fatigue behind the wheel is a very real danger, even if you've never experienced it firsthand. The National Safety Council offers these tips for staying awake while you're driving.

- An obvious cause of fatigue is lack of sleep. If you haven't received seven or eight hours of sleep the night before a trip, you are courting with fatigue. Get enough rest and don't start a trip late in the day. Long distance driving is hard work and you need to be fresh and alert.

- If possible, don't ride alone, passengers can take turns driving and also serve as conversation partners to keep you awake.

- Avoiding rides at night. The glare of lights both on your dashboard and outside your car increases the danger of highway hypnosis.

- Adjust your car's environment so that it helps keep you awake and alert. Keep the temperature cool, the radio volume up and switch stations frequently but avoid soft music, do not use cruise control, feel your body involved with the driving.

- Watch your posture, drive with your head up and your shoulders back, tuck your buttocks against the seat back, legs should not be fully extended but level at about a 45-degree angle.

- Take frequent breaks, at least every two hours, stop at a gas station, restaurant or rest stop, get out of the car, walk around, even jog or do calisthenics. Exercise fights fatigue.

- In addition to the exercise breaks, stop for light meals and snacks. Avoid alcohol entirely.

- Don't allow your eyes to become fatigued or hypnotized, wear sunglasses to block glare (but never wear sunglasses at night).

- If anti-fatigue measures fail and you start noticing the danger signs of fatigue, then there is only one solution. Sleep. Find a safe, guarded rest area, truck stop, or service station. Even a 20-minute nap may refresh you enough to get to a hotel or motel. (This is an emergency maneuver. Do not try it as a common driving technique).

Safe driving demands your full attention. If you feel your eyelids getting heavy, then your next actions may not simply determine whether you'll stay awake. They might determine whether you'll stay alive.