Hi Seal Beach,
We talk a lot about impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also warns about another serious roadway danger: drowsy driving.
Drowsy driving means getting behind the wheel when you are too tired to drive safely. That can happen after a long shift, a poor night of sleep, an early morning, a late drive home, a long road trip, or after taking medication that causes drowsiness.
Fatigue affects driving more than many people realize. It can slow reaction time, reduce attention, affect judgment, and make it harder to recognize hazards. In serious cases, a driver may even experience a “microsleep,” which is a brief moment of sleep that can happen without warning. Even a few seconds can be enough time for a vehicle to drift, leave the roadway, or fail to stop in time.
People are on the road at all hours. Some commute long distances, work unusual schedules, drive home late, or travel early in the morning. You do not have to be on a cross-country trip for fatigue to become a safety issue.
The warning signs are usually there. If you are yawning repeatedly, struggling to keep your eyes open, drifting from your lane, missing turns, forgetting the last few miles, or telling yourself you just need to “make it home,” it is time to stop driving.
Rolling down the window, turning up the radio, or drinking coffee may help briefly, but they are not real solutions if you are seriously tired. The safest choice is to avoid driving drowsy in the first place. Get enough sleep, plan breaks on longer drives, check medication labels, and avoid driving during times when you would normally be asleep.
Drowsy driving is preventable. Like so many safety habits, it starts with being honest with yourself before there is a problem. If you are too tired to drive safely, you are too tired to drive.
Keep your questions coming, Seal Beach! Email us at as*****@*********ca.gov today!