All drivers need to be alert and ready to handle whatever comes their way while they are on the road. Drivers who are drowsy are likely going to have a slower reaction time to things that are going on around them than those who are fully awake.
There is also a chance that drivers who are drowsy will nod off at the wheel. This could lead to a devastating accident. Consider these points about drowsy driving.
Driving after going without sleep for 18 hours straight has similar effects to having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent. This means that drowsy driving has the same impacts on your ability to drive as what drunk driving has. Your ability to drive safely is reduced due to the cognitive impairment that you will feel. There aren’t any tricks that you can use to reduce the effects of being too drowsy. Nothing except getting some sleep is going to help you.
The impacts of being drowsy when you get behind the wheel include a reduction in your ability to make good decisions while you drive. You might also have a slower reaction time and could possibly be less able to pay attention to what is going on around you. All of these mean that you might not be able to react quickly enough if someone cuts you off or if a traffic light turns red.
Because of the body’s natural need to sleep, there are a few hours when drivers are more likely to be drowsy. From midnight to 6 in the morning and from 2 to 4 in the afternoon, the body naturally wants to rest thanks to the circadian rhythm. Even with good sleep prior to these times, drivers might begin to exhibit symptoms of fatigue.
A driver who is too fatigued to drive will likely yawn and have trouble seeing clearly. Your eyes might feel tired and you might blink frequently. There is a chance that you might end up hitting the rumble strips on the side of the road or notice that you’re drifting in and out of your lane. All of these are signs that you need to stop and get some sleep.
Even if you make sure you have enough sleep when you are behind the wheel, you can’t force other drivers to do the same. This puts you at risk of being hit by a fatigued driver. You are facing the possibility of being seriously injured or even killed if a drowsy driver slams into your vehicle.