Feeling fatigued when driving is more than drowsiness; driving while fatigued is a serious safety problem. You cannot think clearly when tired, your response times are reduced, and you are unable to concentrate. One should also make good decisions and observe the signs of tiredness before it is very late, supported by proper fatigue management for truck drivers WA programs that help ensure safety and compliance on the roads.
To begin with, relaxation is quite essential. You may believe that you will be okay after pressing on that feeling of tiredness but your body knows otherwise. The farther you travel the more you are exhausted. A brief 10 minutes break could change you into a different person. Fresh air, exercise your legs, clear your head. It is as though it has been humped with a refresh button. You may not even feel like you need it, but you will feel it.
The other obvious yet neglected factor is sleep. The most prevalent is caffeine and energy drinks which can only work temporarily to keep one awake. Then you are merely dragging your feet along. Nothing will make you feel any better than real slumber. Always have a good night of sleep before a long drive, and in case you are on a trip that will take care of more than a day, take a nap during breaks. Pay attention to your body since exhaustion creeps behind you.
And now we should talk about your place of residence. What you are driving in affects greatly your level of vigilance. Be sure that your seat is in proper position, leave the windows ajar to get some air and do not fear to play your favorite songs. Well-lit and pleasant cabin impresses a lot. You cannot concentrate on the road when you feel uncomfortable, you will be changing your seat too many times or wiping off your sweaty forehead.
Stay mentally busy. Commuting to work may seem like seeing an object that is too long. Your mind can drift away. Get interested in what is going on around. You may sing along the radio, chat with a passenger or listen to an interesting podcast. But don’t go too far. You are liable to be distracted by thinking. It is like riding a seesaw: the needed measures of attention make things stable.
One tends to neglect taking enough water. Water is not the worst drink; it is soda. It is easy to forget that you need to drink when you are driving and this will make you drowsy. Keep a bottle in the car and drink small parts of water when you are driving. One would feel like having sweetened beverages and a stimulant like caffeine but the demands cause a crash.
Technology can help too. Two examples of driver assistance systems are adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance, which may be able to help, but not to be aware of. They give you a second pair of eyes to make sure that you do not go astray or slow. They will help you to drive long distances without so much stress and give your mind a break.
Know when to stop. It is not worth continuing when you think that you lose focus. Have a break, rest or even sleep. When you are ready to go the road will still be there. Never mind pride, no delivery, no engagement, no destination is worth the peril of travelling too far.
Driver weariness can be overcome with a bit of planning and awareness. Sleeping, hydrating, and being somewhere comfortable can all aid in being awake. It does not mean being perfect, it means knowing when to listen to your body and do what you need to do to be safe.