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Tired drivers
have accidents.
Causes
of driver fatigue: (any one or combination of several)
- Lack of Sleep
- Drugs
- Alcohol
- Time of day
- Schedule pressure
- Stress
- Change in schedules
(including returning from vacation)
- Lack of regular excercise
- Poor Posture
- Smoking
- Sleeping disorders
- Night time driving
- Driving alone
- Lack of breaks
- Large meals
Danger
Signs of Fatigue:
- Over-steering in reaction
to traffic flow around you
- Rubbing your eyes
- Yawning
- Staring at the vehicle
in front of you
- Disorientation
- Trouble holding your
head up
- Difficulty keeping
eyes open
- Failure to check mirrors
and gauges as frequently as normal
- Abnormal speeds
- Tailgating vehicles
- Failure to obey traffic
signs
- Back tension
- Burning eyes
- Shallow breathing
- Failure to recognize
"highway hypnosis"
- Missed exists
- Drifting out of your
lane
- You don't remember
driving the last few miles
- You have wandering
disconnected thoughts
- You find that you
have just experienced driving over Rumble Strips
- Seeing things on the
road that aren't there
- You drift off the
road and narrowly miss crashing
- You have to jerk the
truck back into your lane
To Combat
Fatigue
- Get enough rest -
7 or 8 hours is recommended
- Don't drive alone
- Avoid long drives
at night
- Keep vehicle cool
- Turn on the radio
- Talk with other truckers
on the CB
- Take a break - recommended
every two hours
- Watch your posture
- Don't allow eyes to
become fatigued
- Don't wear sunglasses
after dark
- Don't drive when you
are tired
- Avoid alcohol
- Eat light meals and
snacks
- Talk to your doctor
if you suspect prescription or over-the-counter medications may
be the cause
- Talk to your doctor
if you suspect you have a sleep disorder
- Learn ways to deal
with stress
- Keep a regular schedule
- Exercise regularly
- Avoid using cruise
control for excessive lengths of time
- Don't start a trip
late in the day
Safe
driving requires your full attention.
The life you save may be your own.
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