ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

Asleep At The Wheel

written by: Jeffrey R Hilton

Feb. 8, 2012

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Falling asleep at the wheel.  It's more common than you think and often with deadly consequences.  There are 100,000 crashes a year alone from drowsy drivers,  making it a major cause of accidents.  Out of those 100,000 drivers,  1,550 of them were killed,  and 40,000 were injured.  Anyone that drives is a candidate to fall asleep while driving. Truck drivers have a high incident rate of sleep deprived related crashes.  Male drivers under 30 have a high incident rate.  Men more readily admit to falling asleep at the wheel than do women.  This type of crash is known as The Silent Killer.




I never could fathom how someone could actually fall asleep at the wheel while driving, right up to the time when it happened to me as well.  Thankfully I did pull off the road in time after a few swerves brought my attention back to reality with a jolt.  I was lucky not to crash,  but it scared the hell out of me enough to never put myself in that situation again.  I had been driving from Calgary to Vancouver, pulling a trailer almost  non stop and was on my way back home again when it happened.  I was just so exhausted and I knew it, I had the window down for fresh cool air.  I stopped at the park gates in Jasper and was asked if I intended to stop in the park. I wasn't intending to,  so I never paid the fee and halfway through,  I got severely tired again and pulled off the road safely,  and closed my eyes for 10 minutes until I was interrupted by a Park Ranger, who chased me off for not having a permit.  So off I went again,  sleep impaired and seeking the next safe place after the park to stop and rest.  I then had a nap followed by a cold swim,  before continuing home safely.

This Guy Fell Asleep On Montana's  I - 90 

Lucky To Be Alive

The best advice for prevention is to get a good nights sleep before you drive any distance.  try to avoid driving at night if possible.  Avoid foods high in sugar and fat.  Drink water and juice.  Be aware that coffee isn't the best prevention and that it takes 30 minutes for it to fully enter the bloodstream.  Take a break as soon as you begin to feel sleepy.  Share the driving with someone if possible. Seek prompt treatment if you suspect you might have any sleep disorders.  Make sure you make realistic travel expectations for yourself.  Listen to talk radio instead of music.  Open a window.

In the U.S,  Six states have laws that make mandatory,  doctor's reporting of any patients suffering from sleep disorders.  23 other states permit doctor's to voluntarily give up doctor patient confidentiality to report drivers with sleep disorders.  This creates the problem of people not seeking treatment for fear of driving privileges being revoked.  

Signage like this helps.

Signage and having well spaced rest stops along major highways and roads give drivers a choice and a reminder to stop.  Rumble strips,  installed along many highways are a great invention and effectively work to let drivers know they are driving out of the lane with the loud sounds of your tires passing over the grooved pavement.  When you are over tired behind the wheel,  you become impaired in many ways.  Vision is impaired along with your processing time of information.  Your reaction time decreases greatly.  Short term memory is affected and your vigilance and due attention deteriorate rapidly.  Fatigue can be caused by Sleep Apnea,  and sufferers have excessive daytime sleepiness and can have episodes of Micro Sleeps,  a condition where the afflicted falls asleep for 2 to 3 second intervals throughout the day. These are almost like black-outs and the results are obvious.

SLEEP IMPAIRED DRIVERS

There are several kinds of anti-sleep devices available now and anyone that knows they have any type of sleep disorder should try one of these devices.  Another contributing factor to this type of crash  is the use of cold and flu products that cause drowsiness.

SLEEP DEPRIVED NEVER ARRIVED

An exhaustive study undertaken by Ford tested drivers on advanced realistic simulators.  They had to stay awake the entire night before and not consume any caffeine products, and then drive the simulator road courses.  Almost half of the participants veered off the road and crashed on the 3 hour simulated drive. Sleep deprivation can impair as much as alcohol.  Many career drivers take stimulants to keep awake.  This practice is dangerous because it can lead to over-stimulation.  Being cranked up on Bennie's or other stimulants  give you a false sense of alertness and reaction times can be affected.   

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Do Have A Good Day And Be Alert Behind The Wheel

Jeffrey R Hilton