The drowsy driver has become more of a hazard as commutes become longer and more frequent. In fact, the term is now being used to identify a problem that has killed over 300 people in California alone since 2002.
As we evolve into a 24 hour a day society and more workers join the long commute, the number of accidents and fatalities caused by drowsy drivers will increase, said Dr. Jane Stutts, formally of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center.
She says that a trance like state is produced about 30 minutes into the drive, when blood has drained from the brain and pooled into the lower extremities.
To avoid this syndrome, get your eight hours a night of good sleep. Even two hours of missed sleep can bring on the drowsy driver effect of loss of coordination, impaired judgment, slow reaction time and impaired attention span.
Although there has been reports of truckers falling asleep at the wheel, little attention has been paid to the long distance commuter until now. The National Traffic Safety Administration suggests that when you find yourself in this predicament, take a 15-20 minute nap or drink two cups of coffee. The usual remedies – open the car windows, turn up the radio, talk on the cell phone are not considered to work. To read more about this, click on this link:
Our thanks to Rocky Salmon of The Press-Enterprise for a timely report.
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