How to avoid Drowsy and Distracted Driving – Instructions
Drowsy driving is when you feel sleepy and tired while driving. This makes you less alert, slower to react, and more likely to make bad decisions while driving.
Falling asleep at the wheel can cause you to drift off the road at high speed, and it puts you, your passengers, people in other vehicles, and pedestrians in great danger.
Distracted driving is when you do another activity while driving, which can cause you to lose focus on driving safely.
Distractions such as eating, drinking, talking on the phone, or texting may cause you to take your eyes off the road or your hands of the wheel.
What lifestyle changes can be made to avoid drowsy driving?
- Get 7‒8 hours of sleep every night. If you have trouble sleeping, see your health care provider to determine whether you may have a sleep disorder, such as insomnia or sleep apnea.
- Pay attention to warning signs that you are drowsy. These include yawning, drifting out of your lane, missing an exit, or hitting the rumble strip on the side of the road.
- Do
not drink alcohol or take a drug or medicine that makes you
drowsy before driving.
- Read medicine labels and talk with your health care provider to find out whether medicines that you take may make you drowsy.
- Try not to drive alone at night or in the late afternoon. Drowsy driving is common among people who drive alone, and it happens most often in the late afternoon and night.
- Drink 1‒2 cups of coffee or have an energy drink before driving, if you are drowsy. This may reduce drowsiness, but only for a short time.
- If you become drowsy while driving, pull over to a safe rest area and nap for at least 20 minutes.
What lifestyle changes can be made to avoid distracted driving?
- Do not use your phone to text, e-mail, or talk while driving. Many states have laws against cell phone use and texting while driving.
- If you must use your phone, use a hands-free device and set up voice commands. You may be able to connect your phone to your car system.
- Do not program your navigation system while driving. If you use a navigation system, get it ready before you start driving.
- Do not eat or drink while driving.
- Do not drink alcohol before driving, and do notallow anyone to drink alcohol while in your car.
- Take a driving safety course, especially if you are a young driver. Distracted driving is most common among young drivers.
If you have passengers in your car, make sure that they let you focus on driving. Distracted driving often happens when there are several people in the car, especially if some people have been drinking.
Why are these changes important?
Distracted driving and drowsy driving are dangerous for you, other people in your car, other people on the road, and pedestrians. Thousands of accidents each year result from distracted and drowsy driving, and many of these accidents are fatal. Making these simple lifestyle changes can:
- Help make you a safer driver.
- Help prevent motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and deaths.
What can happen if changes are not made?
If you do not make these changes, you will have an increased risk for an accident. You may injure yourself or others. Injury may result in hospitalization, missing work, long-term disability, or even death. If you use your phone while driving, you may be breaking the law and may face legal consequences.
Seek Additional Information
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: www.nhtsa.gov/Driving-Safety/Drowsy-Driving/Research-on-Drowsy-Driving
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration & U.S. Department of Transportation: www.distraction.gov
Summary
- Drowsy driving and distracted driving cause thousands of accidents each year. Many of these accidents are fatal.
- Drowsy driving is most common among people who do not get enough sleep, and it happens most often after midnight and in the late afternoon.
- Distracted driving is most common among young drivers.
- Pay attention to warning signs like yawning, drifting out of your lane, missing an exit, or hitting the rumble strip on the side of the road.
- Do not eat, drink, text, e-mail, or talk on a phone while driving.
