Driving while Drowsy Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

Drowsy Driving – Tips on Staying Alert

Daun Thompson — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 15:17:11 +0000

Have you ever been on a road trip and you’re about 20 miles from your destination, but you’re so sleepy that you can barely keep your eyes open? And you know that you should pull off the road, get out of the car and walk around a bit. Maybe get something to drink and some fresh air, but you just keep on driving? “It’s only 20 miles! I can make it.” Seconds later, as your car is leaving the pavement, you are jolted awake “Yikes! How long was I asleep?” Even if you get plenty of rest before you start out on that road trip, you can only endure so many hours before your brain kicks into “screen saver” mode. Most state laws consider that drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving and there are strict penalties. Much like intoxication, sleepiness slows down reaction time while it also decreases awareness and impairs judgment.

According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), fatigued driving or drowsy driving is the principal cause of up to 100,000 vehicle crashes every year. Reports say at least 1,500 people are killed and injuring 71,000! While these numbers are staggering, there are yet more numbers of fatigue-related crashed that go unreported.

But these are primarily passenger vehicle crashes. Less than 1% of all sleep-related crashes involve truckers. Currently, Federal laws are in place, prohibiting truckers to drive more than 10 hours in a 24-hour period. My Grandfather was a trucker who spent his career hauling fuel cross-country. Back then, truckers could for drive for days without sleep. And, in those days, people thought that drinking coffee, or taking over the counter meds would keep them awake. It was also common to take illegal drugs such as Amphetamines to keep awake. But we all know that what goes up must eventually come down. It’s true that truckers would get what they called “white line fever” (a song by Merle Haggard, R.I.P., sniff…). But now I’m thinking that white line fever must have had two meanings.

Here is a list compiled by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety of the top 10 things you can do to avoid falling asleep at the wheel:
1. If you feel sleepy, stop driving. Pull over, get out and get a beverage.
2. If you get a caffeinated beverage, since it takes about 30 minutes to kick-in, take a nap.
3. Get plenty of sleep the night before your trip (6 hours or more).
4. Don’t leave for a long road trip right after work.
5. Drive during the hours that you are normally awake and stay in a hotel at your normal bedtime.
6. If you are planning to drive straight through, take a nap between midnight and dawn.
7. Avoid carbohydrates since they make you drowsy. Protein enriched foods and beverages are best.
8. Forget the cold and allergy meds or any meds that may make you drowsy.
9. Have a passenger in the front seat to talk to.
10. Pull over every two hours or every 100 miles. Even if you don’t feel like you need to. It’ll give you, your passengers and your car a break. And try to only drive 300-400 miles per day.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Drowsy Driving – Comedy Defensive Driving School

The post Drowsy Driving – Tips on Staying Alert appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Drowsy Holiday Driving

Daun Thompson — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 02:41:41 +0000

I was having trouble falling asleep and all of my fellow zombie friends offered up a variety of remedies. From what I can recall, because I’ve slept since then, they suggested a plethora of both natural and synthetic sleep inducers such as Melatonin, Benadryl and Chamomile Tea. One friend even suggested I watch The Big Band Theory. Nah, just kidding, she actually told me get some tryptophan (the enzyme in turkey) and watch Scream Queens. Honestly, that worked the best. I took the tryptophan at bedtime with a side order of cranberry sauce and a nice Chianti. Perhaps it was the Chianti that knocked me out. Whatever it took, I didn’t care. I was desperate for that elusive thing called sleep. Even my dogs, that do nothing but sleep all day (they are even sleeping next to me as I write this blog), had no trouble getting to sleep at night. I considered walking in a circle, like they do, until I fell asleep. Perhaps it’s the dizziness that does them in. I hear that mixing medications will do the same. Probably the reason they don’t ask me back at the Improv. The Thanksgiving holiday is only one week away. With holiday travel and large tryptophan induced meals (that may even include alcohol), make sure you get a grip on Drowsy Holiday Driving.
Most states now have fatigue laws regarding drowsy driving. And some of those states consider a drowsy driver to be just as dangerous as a drunk driver. Which means that the penalties could be just as stringent as driving while impaired on alcohol or drugs. So, maybe limit your drinking or do not drink at all. If you do drink, designate a driver. Try to cut back on the turkey. Don’t overstuff yourself. Bring home what you can’t eat in a doggie bag. Your dogs will love that. Feed them the turkey with tryptophan. They will sleep until Christmas. And have a safe Thanksgiving holiday.
Until next week…
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Drowsy Driving – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Drowsy Holiday Driving appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Fatigued Driving

Daun Thompson — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 05:56:11 +0000

When you hear the word “fatigue,” lack of sleep comes to mind. But, with cold and flu season, it’s good to remember that most cold medications contain ingredients that will not only knock your cold out, but will likely knock you out as well. Basically, any cold medication that comes with its own shot glass is a pretty good indication that you’re in for one heck of a ride. And it’s hard to justify missing work unless you’re on your death bed, right? So, there you go, driving to work while hopped up on cold medicine. Or, what the law likes to refer to as fatigued driving. You know, it is just as dangerous to be driving while fatigued as it is to be driving drunk. Most states have laws intended to curb this problem. Driving while drowsy may be punishable by a class A misdemeanor. And negligent vehicular homicide caused by driving while ability impaired by fatigue is punishable by a class E felony.

The National Transportation Safety Board reported that drowsy driving was likely the cause of more than half of crashes leading to a truck driver’s death. And, for each truck driver fatality, another three to four people are killed. And, not only taking medicine before driving, but how about if you’re not taking your medicine? Blood pressure medications, seizure medications and diabetics medications are just a few to be certain to maintain so you don’t have an episode while driving.
Just remember to read the crimp in the box and label on your medicine bottle (prescription and over the counter). They typically list indications of reactions to the medicine. And those indications contain phrases such as don’t operate machinery, don’t drive a car, may cause drowsiness, don’t mix with alcohol and don’t get anywhere near a 24 hour wedding chapel.
Until next week…
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Fatigued Driving – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Fatigued Driving appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.