Falling asleep at the wheel is more common than many people realize, and even if you aren’t falling asleep while driving, that doesn’t mean someone driving nearby won’t be. Getting a good night’s rest can reduce the occurrences of falling asleep when you are behind the wheel of a car but if you are extra stressed out over something or even just a little bit tired, it can still happen. The best suggestion, of course, is not to drive very long distances without stopping to rest occasionally, but this is often something easier said than done.
Where Are You Scheduled to Drive to Today?
In the United States, most of us drive our cars every day since many of us do not live in cities with a good mass transit system in place. Whether we are driving on surface roads or on the interstates, chances are good that someone around us will be getting sleepy while driving. Almost all of the most sleepy roads in the US are on major highways and interstates; in other words, roads that enable people to travel for long periods of time uninterrupted. National interstates such as I-15, I-25, I-37, I-65, and I-45, which run north and south and I-90, I-76, I-80, I-40, and I-70, which run east to west, are some of the most dangerous interstates in the country and over 5% of the accidents that occur here are due to sleepy drivers.
Can Anything Be Done About Drivers Who Are Too Sleepy?
Although there is little you can do about other drivers, you do have a certain amount of control over your own driving habits. If you get enough sleep the night before driving a very long distance and stop periodically to rest up for a bit, this can help a lot. Also, becoming familiar with your route before you get on the road can help as well because you will know what to expect while you’re driving. Naturally, being alert at all times helps prepare you for other drivers’ actions and gives you time to warn them with a honk should they begin to stray in your lane or seem to be driving near the edge of the road.
Which State Are You Driving Through?
Statistics have been developed that show the states with the highest and lowest number of accidents that are caused by sleepy drivers with Wyoming and Vermont at the top of the list and California and Ohio among the lowest. Does this mean that you should avoid the states that are found on the top of this list? Of course not, but you should use extra caution when driving through any state that has long seemingly-endless highways that you will be driving on for a very long time. Like most things in life, using caution, paying attention to what is going on around you, and using a little common sense can reduce the possibility of something going wrong while you’re on the road and can make your next trip one to enjoy instead of stressing over.