Asleep At The Wheel

Asleep at the Wheel

 

Are you aware — truly aware — of the precise moment you drift off to sleep at night? No?

Well, the same is true when you're behind the wheel. You could doze off without realizing it, perhaps never to wake up again.

 

In the meantime, it's the driver's responsibility not to drive when tired. That said, little has been done to raise awareness of the issue. At the moment, only one U.S. state (New Jersey) has adopted a bill allowing for criminal charges to be laid against tired drivers, on the condition it can be proven that he or she hasn't slept in the last 24 hours.

In Quebec, the Societe de ('Assurance automobile du Québec invested $1-million in a prevention campaign this past summer. The main component of the campaign was a television commer­cial in which a driver is shown to be nodding off ... followed by the hand of a paramedic closing his eyes forever.

 

Researchers at the Universite de Montreal's driving simulation laboratory have seen it all during their many years of con­ducting tests and experiments, especially when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol or driving at excessive speeds. One finding, however, threw them for a loop — motorists don't real­ize they're about to fall asleep at the wheel. In fact, the subjects who took part in experiments on driver fatigue maintained they felt very good: "No, no, I'm not falling asleep," was a common refrain. How­ever, all the signs — less precise steering inputs, inconsistent speeds and lines, staring blankly without scanning rear-view mirrors or even the road — told a different story: The drivers were dozing off.

Laboratory director Jacques Bergeron was stunned by the finding. He says that the test subjects were completely unaware they were on autopilot. They claim to feel completely normal, but their behaviour indicates they're on the verge of making a dangerous driving error or of losing control of their vehicles, he says.

By the time you realize that your thoughts have started to wander, that your vision is blurry, that you're yawning or that you're having trouble keeping your head upright or even your eyes open, you've been driving impaired for some time. At this point — or sooner -­it's time to make a rest stop (in a safe place) to take a nap, especially if you're the type who can fall asleep anywhere, any time.

 

Everyone knows the two leading causes of road fatalities are drinking and driving and speeding, but what about driver fatigue? Driver fatigue is the third-leading cause of death on Canadian roads. Admit it, you're surprised.

According to the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, one out of five accidents in Canada is caused by driver fatigue, claiming the lives of 400 Canadians and injuring more than 2,000 every year.

Too few drivers are aware of the fact that a lack of sleep affects their driving ability, so much so that they might as well be driving under the influence. A sleep debt of five hours has the same effect as having two or three glasses of wine — your concentration begins to wane, your reflexes slow, your peripheral vision narrows. Basically, you're "out of it."

What's worse, a sleep-deprived driver who has been awake for more than 20 hours is as impaired as a driver with a blood-alcohol level of 0.05 mg.

Find that hard to believe? Consider the following statistic: Nine out of 10 police officers in the United States surveyed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety said they have pulled over motorists on suspicion of drunk driving when, in fact, the motorists had "only" been nodding off.

 

A COMMON DENOMINATOR

Most road accidents related to driver fatigue occur on highways. Eighty per cent of the time only one vehicle is involved. Such accidents differ from alcohol-related ones in that no braking or avoidance maneuver is attempted.

Although accidents caused by driver fatigue usually occur at night, they can also happen in the middle of the afternoon — after lunch, when people's energy levels tend to drop.

And most accidents caused by driver fatigue (80%) result in at least one fatality. So, more often than not, drivers who fall asleep at the wheel do not live to tell the tale.

 

BETTER SAFE THAN DEAD AT THE WHEEL

There are ways to avoid such tragedies:

  • Don't get behind the wheel when you're tired. Get a good night's sleep before hitting the road.
  • Plan itineraries that are no longer than eight hours and drive during the day, not at times when you'd otherwise be sleeping.
  • Keep the passenger compartment cool and well ventilated. Fatigue hits you quicker with warmer temperatures.
  • Avoid alcohol altogether and opt for light meals (sorry, a burger and fries is not a light meal).