by Dale Dolmo

Created on: February 15, 2011   Last Updated: May 08, 2012

Driving Yourself to Death
Driver fatigue is one of the greatest hazards on our highways, contributing to many serious highway injuries and deaths every year. Driving while drowsy impairs a person's ability to concentrate and react quickly in much the same way that driving while intoxicated does. A driver may be tired simply because he or she has been on the road driving for a long time, or because of having gone without sleep for a long period prior to driving. Whatever the cause, drivers need to steer clear of the extreme tiredness that can lead to tragedy.

Get Some Sleep Before You Get Behind the Wheel.
If you know you have a long road trip coming up, don't stay up late the night before or spend all day working and packing if you are setting out that evening. If you are leaving first thing in the morning, go to bed early the night before and try to get a good eight hours of sleep. If your journey starts in the afternoon or evening, set aside as much time as you can during the day for a nap. A sleep-deprived driver is a dangerous driver.

Call for Backup - A Backup Driver, That Is!
Here's one time when you can take a cue from Hollywood. When was the last time you saw a "road movie" that wasn't also a "buddy movie?" Admittedly, filmmakers throw people together in cars, trucks, and planes in order to create drama, but you should take along someone else in order to prevent it. If at all possible, always travel with at least one other person. That way, you can not only share the driving responsibilities, you can engage in chit-chat to keep each other awake throughout the trip.

Pick the Right Fuel - For Your Body!
If you stuff down a lot of high-sugar, high-caffeine snacks and beverages at the start of your trip, you are setting yourself up for a nutritional crash, and maybe a real one. When you come down off of that sugar and caffeine high, will you be in a nice, safe place to pull over and re-charge, or will you be doing 80 miles per hour down the interstate? Why risk it? Snack on peanuts, whole-wheat crackers, and water or maybe some skim milk. This kind of fuel will keep your body and brain humming along the highway for the whole trip!

Focus - But Not Too Much.
Staring at one spot down the center line of the road can lead to what's commonly called "highway hypnosis." You can easily get so zoned out that you don't see the brake lights of that semi truck in front of you until it's too late. Remember to shift what you're looking at frequently to keep alert. Stay in tune with what's going on around you, and you'll stay awake - and alive.

If You Start to Slow Down - Stop!
When you feel your mind getting foggy and your body getting fatigued, it is time to pull over. There is no excuse for continuing to drive past the point when you know your abilities are compromised. No matter how short the deadline, or how important the engagement, your friends, loved ones, and (hopefully) your employer would prefer to have you "late" in the sense of time rather than "late" in the sense of dead. Find a rest stop, gas station, all-night supermarket, or even a police station if you don't feel safe anywhere else. Then, pull over and take as long a break as you need.

Drive Revived and Arrive Alive.
Fighting your natural rhythms is a losing game. People have all sorts of tricks for keeping yourself going when you're driving tired, but the truth is simple. Your body knows what it needs: rest! Prepare to be well-rested, take breaks along the way, switch off with another driver if you can, and most importantly, quit when you get tired. The best way to "fight" driver fatigue is to avoid it altogether. If you don't, you may find yourself barrelling head-on into a future or pain and regret - if you have any future at all.

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