8 Tips to help you avoid falling asleep while you’re driving
Trying to ‘push through it’ could end up costing you much more than just a car.
WAKE up … you’re twice as likely to have an accident if you are sleep deprived.
Before you embark on a long road trip, make sure you rest up because according to a recent report, the risk of you being involved in a car accident spikes with every hour of lost sleep.
According to Bianca de Beer, spokesman for Dialdirect Insurance: “The report released this month by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety states that the less sleep the person behind the wheel gets, the higher the accident rate. For example, motorists in the study who got only four or five hours of sleep had four times the accident rate — similar to what’s seen amongst drunk drivers.”
The study also found that drivers who caused accidents were more than 10 times as likely to have slept for less than four hours, and that drivers who slept even as little as one hour less than the amount they would normally sleep during a 24 hour period, had significantly increased accident rates.
EIGHT TIPS
1. Get at least seven hours of quality sleep before you leave on your journey.
2. Most accidents caused by a sleep deprived driver occur between midnight and 6am, the natural time for sleep.
3. Energy drinks or caffeine can assist in reviving tired drivers. However, regular coffee drinkers are warned that it can also have the opposite effect and cause fatigue and impaired coordination.
4. Contrary to popular belief, loud music, chewing gum, fresh air or a good stretch will not help relieve tiredness while driving.*
5. When driving long distance, plan your trip to incorporate a 20 minute break every two hours.
6. There are plenty of petrol station rest stops along the major routes.
7. Share the driving with another responsible driver.
8. Wear good quality sunglasses to avoid your eyes getting tired.
* Study conducted by the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre.
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