Drowsy driving is a state where you are half asleep and half awake. This is a very dangerous situation and has been said to be equal to drink driving. There are many reports of drowsy driving and a statistic shows that 60% of people admit they feel sleepy while driving. In these cases, 20% of Canadian admit they have fallen asleep which directly leads to accidents.

The causes

All of these accidents happen due to not having enough sleep or being too tired. Most of these cases involve teenagers who do not sleep well at night due to studies or just chatting and driving in the morning without enough sleep. Some major accidents were caused by lorry or truck drivers who try to get to the destination without proper sleep. Night sleep is very important and those working on the night shift also tend to have sleep disorders that lead to this problem. Some other people who are on medication that can make them sleepy also have a high risk of causing accidents like this.

Danger

Drowsy driving is very dangerous not only to yourself but also to those loved ones that are travelling with you and total strangers that might be caught up in an accident due to your drowsy driving. A statistic shows that fatigued drivers (60%) are the most common to meet in an accident and dies meanwhile non-fatigued driver or passenger who was caught in this chaos and dies to stand at 40%. Although there are awareness and the cases have been decreasing, the issue is a serious one. One of the main issues, why this happens, is a slower reaction time and fast driving speed. You probably never realize it happens until the last minute or after it happens. That is how bad drowsy driving will be

Your decision-making will also suffer. For example, you could run over a yellow light trying to beat it only to run it after the red light and collide with a vehicle from the other side of the traffic light. Another major issue is the loss of focus which can lead you into the opposite driving lane which directly gets you into an accident with the oncoming vehicle and it usually turns fatal for the driver or oncoming vehicle driver. This is also due to blurred vision because when you are tired it will tire your eyes as well and your eyes will be sensitive to lights.

The warning

You might not realize you are drowsy until the very last minute. To avoid this try to look at the signs that might appear when you are driving.

• Yawning frequently
• Missing your exit
• Drifting to the opposite lane
• Going too much to the side of the road
• Eyes feel tired ort too much blinking

Tips

If you think you are drowsy follow these useful tips to overcome the issue before it’s too late.

• Take a nap if you feel drowsy. Stop at a safe place and take about 20 minutes of a nap so that you will be refreshed to continue the journey
• If you are driving with others, take turns to drive so that you can rest and avoid this drowsiness to affect you
• Coffee or sugary snack might give energy for a short moment. Utilize it for a short distance and always keep yourself hydrated with water
• Avoid medication that brings drowsiness on the day of driving or the night before
• Stop the vehicle at a safe spot and get a walk to stimulate a little bit of energy before continuing
• The most important thing is to get a good night sleep before starting a journey

Conclusion

In Canada, if you are caught in a drowsy state when driving you might get your license suspended. If you met with an accident or cause fatalities to others you might get charged in court or sent to jail. To avoid all this please follow the tips given above and always remember the danger this can cause.