![]() Thus, knowing how to stay awake while driving might be more important than you think.Īvoid falling asleep while driving at night or while driving long distances, which is pretty common, require strategies, preparation and tools. You might previously thought it’s not a big issue, however studies have found that drowsiness is as dangerous as drunk driving. That blog at Schneider has 12 tips on how to stay awake on the road, none of which include tricks that experts say don't work, like making the cab too cold, turning up the music real loud, or chewing gum.According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, each year in the US alone, drowsy driving accounts for some 328,000 crashes, of which about 6,400 are fatal while 109,000 resulted in an injury. Here's some sage advice from Schneider trucking : "If you have to ask yourself how to stay awake when driving, you shouldn't be driving. ![]() Experts caution against drinking heavily the night before you set out, too, not just the day or night of the drive. Intoxicants slow reaction times, cloud driving judgment, and cause people to pass out or nod off. Never drink or take drugs and driveĭrugs and alcohol are killers when it comes to driving. You can find podcasts on darn near anything-ghostbusting, food, feminism, sports, popular culture, high-brow culture, Vikings, textile arts, and on and on. If you don't have a passel of kids in the car, you can keep your mind occupied with an interesting podcast or audiobook. What are their names? What do they do for employment? What kind of pets do they have? The sillier and more detailed the story, the better. Make up a story about the people in the car. Find a vehicle that you can watch for a few minutes traveling on the road near you. One person plays the character of a famous person and answers questions as if they were that person. Try to stump the other person with the weirdest or most difficult questions you can come up with ( or find online).ġ6. One person picks a category (ex: Britney Spear’s songs, NFL teams, flavors of La Croix) and everyone takes turns naming something in that category until someone (the loser) is stumped.ġ0. Some of my favorites, as written on Thought Catalog, are:ġ. Speaking of games, the Thought Catalog website has a posting with a list of 31 games you can play in the car (or anywhere) without boards or equipment. Families can converse, play games, and take turns driving.Īlso, recreational road trippers don't have to log the typical 500 miles in a day that truckers average. While we can all take some hints from truck drivers, families or couples have a distinct advantage over truckers. It also hasn't been proven that they do not boost your energy. It hasn't been proven that B vitamins boost your energy if you get enough in your diet, but it doesn't hurt to take them in a supplement. You get 40 mg of caffeine in each Viter Energy mint, you freshen your breath, and you get the B vitamins that some researchers say will help keep you alert and awake if you have a deficiency in them. If you have the mints, you can drink water. If you eat the mints, you will avoid taking too much liquid so you can limit pit stops, which is important because medical professionals say part of staying alert is to get enough fluids and stay hydrated. One way to limit pit stops is to take your caffeine in a dry preparation, such as Viter Energy Mints. Caffeinated mints with B vitaminsĭriving long distances can be a balancing act between limiting pit stops and putting the miles behind you on the one hand and staying safe, going to the bathroom and taking breaks often enough, and getting meals on the other. For truckers who get a good, healthy amount of caffeine, another study found, they can avoid crashes and save lives. If you rely too much on caffeine and get too much of it, one study finds, you run the risk of crashing. ![]() Underlying both the short-term and long-term practices is judicious use of caffeine. And we can all take hints from truck drivers, who are experts in driving long distances and staying awake. The short-term practices are more detailed. The long-term practices are to get a good, healthy diet sleep on a regular schedule, at least 7 hours a night (or day, if you work the graveyard shift) and exercise regularly to stay physically fit. Practices to stay awakeĪs we've been writing on this blog lately, there are long-term and short-term practices to remain alert and avoid becoming drowsy on the road. Many sleep advisors say you should also take a nap before you set out on your trip. Experts advise several ways to ensure you remain awake and alert on the road, but most agree: If you get drowsy, the best thing to do is to pull over and let someone else drive, or if you're alone take a nap.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |