Gaari Means Car. Car Reviews & Car News

If or when you find yourself nodding off behind the wheel you are likely to turn the music up or open the window for a blast of fresh air.  But the truth is, these common safety myths do not work.  Studies have shown that the best way to handle fatigue is to pull over to the side of the road and take a nap. 

 

You are probably thinking that it may be too dangerous.  But if you find a well lit, safe area and lock your windows and doors you should be fine for a 15-20 minute power nap.  Just don’t let yourself fall asleep for a couple of hours so set your alarm on your cell phone.  Studies show that cofee or energy drinks coffee are the best options for staying alert on the road.  About 41% of people drink caffeine to stay awake. 

 

Fatigue is the number one contributing factor to far more accidents than you would like to think.  It is the cause of about 12% of all collisions and 10% of all near crashes.  Roughly 7% of drivers in the United States admit to falling asleep while driving just in the past year.  Close to 2 million drivers are accidents waiting to happen as they are nodding off.  Tiredness on the road is often caused by unchanging landscapes or road monotony which is very common on many highways.  It is responsible for more than 300 deaths in 12 months.  The Department of Transport advises drivers to take breaks every 2-3 hours on long road trips. 

 

Police are looking into developing hand-held devices to test for driving impairment through old age, fatigue, or drugs.  Car companies are also trying to install monitoring systems in automobiles to alert the driver when they start veering outside the lanes, begin blinking too much, or nod their heads.  Too many people stay on the road in spite of feeling sleepy.  The best way to prevent a fall asleep crash is to plan ahead and get plenty of sleep before starting a long journey.