Have Your Say on Microsleeps and Driving

Tired Driving Affects

Driving while feeling tired has many affects on the body, this is shown in the video below.

Microsleeps - occurs when someone nods off to between two and 30 seconds without realising or remembering it, often recalled afterwards as 'head-nodding'.

This occurs when people are tired but are trying to stay awake, most common in monotonous situations. Nodding off for just a few seconds at the wheel can be fatal: if you are driving on a motorway at 70mph and nod off for six seconds you would travel nearly 200 metres, which could take you across three lanes of traffic and down an embankment onto another road or train track.

Look out for the Warning Signs

Research shows that normal sleep does not occur without warning. You should know when you are starting to feel sleepy. Warning signs include: increased difficulty concentrating; yawning; heavy eyelids; eyes starting to 'roll'; and neck muscles relaxing, making the head droop. If you experience these symptoms, you should find somewhere safe to rest as soon as possible, rather than trying to fight off tiredness. Winding down the window, listening to music and talking to a passenger do not help prevent sleep, although they may temporarily help you to stay alert until you find somewhere safe to stop.

Laws
If you are found to be driving tired, you may be charged with:
• careless driving (when driving has fallen below the standard expected of a careful and competent driver);
• dangerous driving (when driving has fallen far below the standard expected of a careful and competent driver).

If you cause a death while driving tired, you can be charged with death by dangerous driving, if there is sufficient evidence available. The maximum penalty for death by dangerous driving is 14 years in prison.

If you need to drive here is some safety advice

If you start to feel sleepy while driving:
• Stop for a 15 minute break somewhere safe as soon as possible. This should never be on the hard shoulder as this is extremely dangerous.
• If you drink caffeine, drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeine drink, such as an energy drink.
• Take a 10-15 minute rest or snooze, but no longer as you will go into a different type of sleep. Set an alarm clock to wake you. By the time you wake up the caffeine will have kicked in and you should be ready to continue your journey.

If you still feel tired, you should not continue your journey.
• Bear in mind that the caffeine is a temporary drug and its effects do not last long. Sleep is the only long-term cure to tiredness.

Readers Comment

It works like a splash of cold water in the middle of the night. At thefirst sign of drowsiness NO NAP will jolt your senses with a loud
tone. Just how important is it to have this simple safety device? We’ve alldone it, often times unknowingly. You get behind the wheel after takingseemingly harmless cold medication or head home after a long day at work.Up to this point you’ve probably been among the lucky ones who make it homewithout incident.

KAREN ,New York

Readers Comment

I was driving along a country road last year, after a long work shift. Finishing late and the dark skys i could feel i was tired. A mile from work I hit the curb and it woke me up. It popped my tyre and damaged the wheel.

It has always been in my mind ’ what if there where people walking there’ or ’what would have happened if i hit a tree full speed’.

Would i be here today to tell the story, or would I be in prison, just because I was tired while i was driving.

I would never drive while I am tired anymore, shame it took me something like this to realise I am not super-human and tiredness can get the better of anyone

Macca,Bootle

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