Driver fatigue

Fatigue behind the wheel is a very real danger, even if you've never experienced it firsthand. The National Safety Council offers these tips for staying awake while driving:

• An obvious cause of fatigue is lack of sleep. People who don't get seven or eight hours of sleep the night before a trip are courting fatigue. Get enough rest. And don't start a trip late in the day. Long-distance driving is hard work, and a driver needs to be fresh and alert.
• If possible, don't drive alone. Passengers can take turns driving and also serve as conversation partners to keep the driver awake.
• Avoid long drives at night. The glare of lights, both on your dashboard and outside a car, increases the danger of highway hypnosis.
• Adjust your car's environment so that it helps keep you awake and alert. Keep the temperature cool, with open windows or air conditioning in the summer and frugal amounts of heat in the winter. Turn the radio volume up, and switch stations frequently, but avoid soft, sleep-inducing music. Do not use cruise control; keep your body involved with the driving.
• Watch your posture. Drive with your head up and your shoulders back. Tuck your buttocks against the seat back. Legs should not be fully extended, but flexed at about a 45 degree angle.
• Take frequent breaks. At least every two hours, stop at a gas station, restaurant or rest stop. Get out of the car, walk around, even jog or do calisthenics. Exercise fights fatigue.
• In addition to exercise breaks, stop for light meals and snacks and avoid alcohol entirely.
• Don't allow eyes to become fatigued or hypnotized. Wear sunglasses to fight glare (but never wear sunglasses at night).
• If anti-fatigue measures fail and you start noticing the danger signs of fatigue, find a safe, guarded rest area, truck stop, or service station and try to sleep. Even a 20-minute nap may refresh you enough to get to a hotel or motel. (This is an emergency maneuver. Do not try it as a common driving technique.)

Safe driving demands full attention. If you feel your eyelids getting heavy, then your next actions may not simply determine whether you'll stay awake. They might determine whether you'll stay alive.