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How can I Prevent Falling Asleep at the Wheel?

Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders

In today’s busy world, it’s hard to get a good night's rest. However, driver fatigue is a serious problem. According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation, almost 20 percent of all drivers admit to having fallen asleep behind the wheel at some point. At any given time, you can expect that almost half of all motorists are driving while drowsy.

Recognizing the signs of driver fatigue is a key part of knowing how to prevent falling asleep at the wheel. The signs of driver fatigue can vary from person to person, but may include yawning, increased irritability, sore eyes, and a general feeling of restlessness. Missing road signs, tailgating, having difficulty staying in the correct lane, hitting a shoulder rumble strip, and slow reactions to the behavior of other drivers are also serious warning signs of driver fatigue.

Some over-the-counter medications can cause drowsiness.
Some over-the-counter medications can cause drowsiness.

Driver fatigue is somewhat related to the amount of time spent driving, which is the reason why experts recommend taking a short break after an hour or two on the road. However, studies of how to prevent falling asleep at the wheel have revealed that most fatigue-related crashes happen during the late night and early morning hours or in the early afternoon when the body’s natural circadian rhythms start to drop. To stay safe, it is best to limit your driving during these times as much as possible.

It's important to be well rested when beginning a long drive.
It's important to be well rested when beginning a long drive.

Drowsiness is a common side effect of many over-the-counter and prescription medications. To avoid falling asleep at the wheel, it’s important to understand how your medicine may affect you. Ask your doctor for advice on the potential side effects of any new medication and avoid driving until you are certain how you will react to a particular medicine.

Driving late at night while tired makes you more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.
Driving late at night while tired makes you more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.

Many people believe that consuming coffee or other amounts of caffeinated beverages is the best way to prevent falling asleep at the wheel. It’s true that a small amount of caffeine can help temporarily increase alertness, but too much coffee or soda can make you nervous and jittery. Studies have shown that tricks such as playing loud music and opening your vehicle windows will not increase alertness at all. A better way to prevent falling asleep at the wheel is to pull over and take a short nap. Even resting for just 15 to 20 minutes will have a dramatic impact on your ability to drive safely.

Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders

Dana holds a B.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa. She has loved being part of the WikiMotors team ever since discovering the joys of freelance writing after her son was born. Dana also hones her writing skills by contributing articles to various blogs, as well as creating sales copy and content for e-courses.

Learn more...
Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders

Dana holds a B.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa. She has loved being part of the WikiMotors team ever since discovering the joys of freelance writing after her son was born. Dana also hones her writing skills by contributing articles to various blogs, as well as creating sales copy and content for e-courses.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Ivan83

I did once fall asleep at the wheel and I crashed my car in to someone elses. There were not any major injuries luckily but that was a very sobering experience to say the least. If things had gone just a little bit differently I could have killed myself or someone else.

I have tried many different things to keep myself awake since them from drinking coffee to singing loudly. And I have concluded that when you are tired there is really no way to wake yourself back up. The only responsible thing to do is to pull your car over and get some sleep.

ZsaZsa56

The only way to absolutely keep yourself from falling asleep behind the wheel is to not drive when you are tired or to get rides when you are sleepy. But most of us do not have this luxury.

I drive a lot for my job and there are definitely times when I find myself nodding off behind the wheel. When that happens I usually turn up the radio and slap myself on my inner thigh as hard and as fast as I can. The pain wakes you up a little and the fast movement gets your blood flowing. I know that it is not scientific, but it seems to work for me.

lamaestra

I get so scared about people falling asleep at the wheel - myself included! I wish people would just pull over. I am not at all averse to taking a short nap before driving again.

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    • Some over-the-counter medications can cause drowsiness.
      By: Nikolai Sorokin
      Some over-the-counter medications can cause drowsiness.
    • It's important to be well rested when beginning a long drive.
      By: naka
      It's important to be well rested when beginning a long drive.
    • Driving late at night while tired makes you more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.
      By: peshkova
      Driving late at night while tired makes you more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.