Sleep. It’s a fundamental human need like water and oxygen. But when driving and sleep mix, the results can be devastating. This is common knowledge, but that information won’t stop fatigue from creeping into your mind while driving.
If you are feeling drowsy behind the wheel, pull over somewhere safe and take a break. We realize it’s not always possible or necessary to do so, though, so it’s your call. But remember: There’s nothing more important than the health and wellbeing of you and the people around you.
Below are a few tips to help keep you feeling alert while on the road. If you’re too tired to perform any of these tasks, it’s safe to say you’re too sleepy to drive.
Roll down The Windows
Rolling the windows down has many sleep-battling effects. The smell of the outside air and the feeling of wind flying into the car will introduce a bit of change for your sleepy senses. Most importantly, the loud road-noise and change in cabin pressure will be just unpleasant enough to keep you awake.
Drink Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that improves alertness. Grab a caffeinated beverage before your trip if you think you’ll need one, or pull over and get one if you’re feeling tired. Be careful with the caffeine though – you can overdo it.
Phone a Friend
Boredom is tiring. Call up an old friend and see how they’re doing. It’s always nice to catch up and connect, but remember that talking on a cellphone can also be a distraction. If you’re too tired to have a conversation, you’re definitely too tired to drive a car. Pull over.
Turn Up the Music
Turning up the tunes in your ride is a great way to get those brainwaves rolling. Bonus points for singing along obnoxiously, and conservative car-dancing is also encouraged. Again, we’re not advocating that you add more tasks on top of being sleepy, we’re trying to do things to wake you up.
Play a Driving-Game
This works great if you have a car full of people. There are many driving games to choose from, but one of our favorites is called Alphabet.
If you’re not familiar, here’s how you play:
Each player starts at the letter A. You must find a word (or series of letters) that begins with the letter A. All billboards, road signs, license plates, car names, and bumper stickers are fair game. Each word is only redeemable once, so if person 1 sees a Honda Accord, person 2 cannot also use that Honda Accord for letter A. Once you get the A, you move on to B, and so on until Z.
A Final Reminder
These are tips to keep you from feeling drowsy. By no means do we wish to encourage you to drive when you are too tired to do so. Trust your best judgement and remember, whatever you’re heading to can wait. It’s not worth your life.
Lane Departure Assist
Many of our new vehicles are now equipped with Lane Departure Assist (LDA). LDA is a safety feature that audibly alerts the driver when they’re departing their current lane, and applies a slight counter-steering force to the wheel.
It’s not a fool proof system, but it is a major leap in terms of vehicle safety. Come by Leith Honda today and test drive one of our vehicles equipped with Lane Departure Assist. We’d love to show you just how Honda is keeping you safe on every journey.