Drowsy driving is a summer travel danger

After a few years of staycation, many of us are looking forward to a summer of exciting travel. Some of us will be driving the roads for many other different reasons, but just the same, we want to safely reach our respective destinations.

We are well aware of the hazards of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Driving while you are sleepy is just as dangerous. Associate inexperience and drowsiness and it can prove to be a deadly combination.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, when people who lack sleep are tested on a driving simulator, they perform as badly as or worse than those who are drunk. Being drunk and being sleepy both limit your ability to react quickly to a car suddenly braking in front of you, or maneuver a sharp curve on the road. There are many situations on the road that require rapid responses to avoid an accident. Just a few seconds delay in reaction time can be a life-ordeath matter when driving.

Falling asleep while driving happens often than we realize. People briefly nod off at the wheel without even being aware of it. I know that I have to watch my husband on long drives, because it does happen, more often than he wants to admit. Lack of sleep negatively affects your risk taking and judgment call boosting your chances of getting in a car crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 2.5% of injury crashes involve drowsy driving. Some may not even be reported. Some people are more likely to drive drowsy:

• Commercial drivers.

• Shift workers (work the night shift or long shifts).

• Drivers with untreated sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.

• Drivers who use sedating medications.

• Drivers who do not get adequate sleep.

Studies have shown that cognitive impairment after approximately 18 hours awake is similar to that of someone with blood alcohol content of 0.05%; after about 24 hours awake, impairment is equivalent to a BAC of 0.10%, higher than the legal limits in all states.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, teens need nine to 10 hours a day of sleep while adults need about seven to eight hours a day. Being short on sleep makes you dangerous in the driver’s seat. Watch out for warning signs of drowsy driving:

• Yawning or blinking frequently.

• Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven.

• Missing your exit.

• Drifting from your lane.

• Hitting a rumble strip. If you experience any of these warning signs, pull over to rest or change drivers, if that is an option. A blasting radio or wide-open windows may help some, but they are not effective ways to keep you awake. The National Institute of Health offers some potentially life-saving tips for avoiding drowsy driving:

• Be well rested before hitting the road. If you have several nights in a row of fewer than seven to eight hours of sleep, your reaction time slows. Restoring that reaction time to normal can take more than one night of good sleep, because a sleep debt accumulates after each night that you lose sleep.

• Avoid driving between midnight and 7 a.m. Unless you are accustomed to being awake then, this period of time is when we are naturally the least alert and most tired.

• Don’t drive alone. A companion who can keep you engaged in a conversation might help you stay awake while driving.

• Schedule frequent breaks on long road trips. If you feel sleepy while driving, pull off the road and take a nap for 15-20 minutes.

• Don’t drink alcohol. Just one beer when you are sleep-deprived will affect you as much as two or three beers when you are well rested.

• Don’t count on caffeine or other tricks. Although drinking a cola or a cup of coffee might help keep you awake for a short time, it won’t overcome extreme sleepiness or relieve a sleep debt.

If your job or daily routine limits your ability to get enough sleep or sleep at the right times, talk with your doctor. You should also take with your doctor if you sleep more than eight hours a night, but don’t feel well rested. You may have a sleep disorder or other related health problems. It’s best to have expert opinion who can provide the right clinical interventions.

Safe travels everyone!