Don't Drowse and Drive

Don't Drowse and Drive

There are some things that go together, as the old song goes, like love and marriage "go together like and a horse and carriage." But there are a few things that just simply do not go together and should never be put together -- like fire and gasoline, or sleeping and driving.

If you try to mix fire and gasoline, you will inevitably get an explosion. An explosion is going to happen, and that isn't a guess or a theory. It is a fact. Likewise, if you try to mix sleeping and driving, a car crash is going to happen. Lives are going to be lost or changed forever, and not for the better.

The fact is that all of us have probably been guilty at one time or another of driving a car when we were really too tired and sleep-deprived to be a safe driver. Most of us survived the experience, and hopefully learned the lesson and never repeated the exercise.

Most of the time, accidents that are caused by sleepy drivers are one-car accidents. The car leaves the road and either turns over or hits a tree or other fixed object, but sometimes sleepy drivers will run head-on into oncoming traffic. Drowsiness and driving is a huge problem, and one that should be addressed by every driving instructor and every parent in the world.

Drivers need to stop the car and rest when:

* They have difficulty focusing, heavy eyelids, or frequent blinking
* They are daydreaming, have wandering thoughts, or have disconnected thoughts
* They have trouble remembering the last few miles driven
* They start missing exits or traffic signs
* They yawn repeatedly or rub their eyes a lot
* They have trouble keeping their head up
* They drift from their lane, tailgate, or drive over a shoulder rumble strip

Heed the warnings and save your own life or the life of someone else. Don't drive drunk, and don't drive sleepy!