Some researchers believe driver fatigue
causes up to 25 percent of all vehicle accidents and up to 20 percent of
all the serious accidents on roads and freeways. And, while actually
nodding off (chin to chest, eyes closed) can and does occur, it's the
"micro-sleeps" that can be very dangerous. Micro-sleeps are those
instances when a driver falls asleep for as little as one or two seconds
involuntarily. The driver may not even be aware he or she has fallen
asleep, but his or her rig has traveled 100 or 200 feet, or more, in
that small amount of time. And that's time enough for another driver to
swerve into the truck's lane, for a rig's front or rear wheels to move
into another line and swipe another car or any number of catastrophes.
No amount of commercial trucking insurance (and you do have commercial
trucking insurance, don't you) can truly recover the loss of a driver's
life or well-being due to a major accident caused by fatigue or lack of
sleep.
Below are some ideas to help keep you alert -- and alive and safe --
behind the wheel.
As you drive, keep your eyes moving. Check your rearview mirrors every
few seconds, check the lanes in front of you and to the side. Look left
and right when you approach intersections. In fact, move your head left
and right when you come to crossing. Moving your eyes in this manner
helps you stay alert. Staring straight ahead can cause eye fatigue.
Open your windows. Fresh air can really be an eye opener.
Recognize fatigue when it hits you. Nodding off, of course, is a sure
sign. But so is irritability, especially if you become agitated over
incidents about which you're usually calm. Angered by another driver's
failure to signal a turn into your lane? Infuriated to the point of
making obscene hand gestures when someone cuts you off? It's time to
take a break. Fatigue can make you a danger to yourself and others on
the road long before you show any signs of falling asleep at the wheel.
In fact, it's best to take one 15-minute rest for every two hours on the
road. Walk around. Perform some leg and back stretches. Take a short,
five-minute nap (if you're one of those lucky souls who can fall asleep
quickly).
Slow down when you're tired. Your reaction time shortens considerably
when you're fatigued and a speedy rig is an uncontrolled missile when
its driver is slower to hit the brakes.
Of course, coffee can help, but understand that caffeine's effects don't
happen right away. In fact, many researchers recommend drinking coffee
and then taking a 20-minute nap. This is a terrific way to battle
fatigue.
Finally, the best commercial
trucking insurance you can give yourself before a long haul is a
good night's sleep the nights just before you start. Eight to 10 hours
is best. On your trip, aim to sleep at night and not during the day.
Humans sleep best in the dark - not in a big rig on the side of the road
at 2 p.m.
About the Author
Jon Tanner is the president of JD Tanner
Insurance, a commercial
trucking insurance company. Jon can
insure your fleet
of trucks, and also provide consulting and training for your company
to decrease the
risk of a trucking company.
