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fatigue

Yawn! What Drivers Do to Fight Sleepiness.

June 26, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Most methods for combatting sleepiness do not work.

Mile after mile of interstate driving can takes its toll on any driver. Including at night and especially during the early hours of the morning.

A feeling of sleepiness begins to creep in and before you know it your head is moving forward and your arms are relaxing. At this point you are in danger of losing control of your car with deadly results just moments away. Fortunately, your head snaps back just as your car begins to shift lanes, enabling you to regain control of the vehicle and of your senses.

“Yawn” by Phil Campbell is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Drowsy Driving Survey

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that between 2.2 and 2.6 percent of all fatal accidents from 2005 through 2009 were the result of drowsy driving. In 2009 alone, approximately 30,000 people were injured in accidents involving drowsy driving. Another 730 people lost their lives.

The likelihood of such accidents increases over the summer as more people take to the roads. A recent survey conducted by DMEautomotive (DMEa) of 2,000 car owners found that 53 percent of respondents expect to take a road trip this summer with many planning to drive at least seven hours each day. DMEa is an automotive marketing company that serves automobile dealerships and aftermarket companies.

Methods for Combatting Sleepiness

The DMEa survey asked respondents about the methods they used to tackle drowsy driving and found that combatting those feelings with caffeinated beverages, including coffee, is the top method for battling sleepiness while driving. Indeed, some 53 percent of respondents said that they drink a caffeinated beverage to ward off sleepiness.

Tired drivers often choose multiple responses when overtaken by sleepiness. Some 42 percent open a window or a sunroof when tired with nearly just as many choosing to switch drivers. Just over one-third battle fatigue by pulling over and exercising or stretching; a similar number of people inclined to turn up the audio system to help keep them awake.

Only 23 percent pursue an effective response as in pulling off the road to take a nap. Other methods for combating fatigue include eating, singing, listening to talk radio, talking to themselves, slapping their faces, exercising or stretching while driving, smoking or splashing water on their faces.

Ineffective Responses to Sleepiness

Most of the methods, however, do not work. At least not for the long term. Each of the leading methods may provide a temporary solution, but apart from switching drivers or pulling over and taking a nap, those feelings of sleepiness may return.

Mary Sheridan, Director of Research and Analytics for DMEautomotive noted, “This survey reveals a big problem: when people get sleepy on the road, too many take measures that simply don’t work. Most of us do ineffective things like stopping for that third triple-shot cappuccino or slapping water on our face just to keep going. As drivers, we need to heed our drowsiness: and stop and sleep, or let a rested person drive.”

Pull Over and Take a Nap

The DMEa survey also looked at the driving behavior of drivers under 35 years old. They are more likely to be involved in drowsy driving crashes than older drivers and tend to combat their drowsiness with ineffective methods in greater numbers.

Those methods have been disproven through medical and authoritative evidence aggregated by DMEa. For instance, drinking caffeine does not help immediately. Indeed, it takes caffeine 30 minutes to enter the bloodstream after it has been consumed. Instead of drinking coffee, drivers would realize a beneficial energy boost simply by pulling over and napping for 30 minutes.

Opening windows or the sun roof, turning up the air conditioner, or listening to loud music provides no real benefit. Switching drivers is an effective response, but only if the new driver is rested.

Driving no more than two hours before taking a break, napping, and hitting the road with at least seven hours sleep can help combat sleepiness. Even so, driving between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. should be avoided, the time when sleepiness is most likely to overtake you.


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“Yawn” by Phil Campbell is licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: DMEa, DMEautomotive, DRIVER SAFETY, DROWSY DRIVING, fatigue, NHTSA, sleepiness, SURVEY

How Is Tech Making Car Travel Safer?

March 2, 2013 by Andrew Tipp Leave a Comment

electronic stability control

There are more than 250 million passenger vehicles licensed for use on the roads in the US, according to the US Department of Transportation. With so many vehicles sharing limited road space, improving driver safety has never been more important.

Car manufacturers have understood this for many years, and are regularly introducing new technology that provides driver assistance to improve safety. Here’s a quick look at some of the tech developments in the auto industry that are reducing accidents and making driving safer.

Preventing Tailgating and Forward Collisions

Driving too close to the vehicle in front, also known as tailgating, creates a big accident risk, as reaction time is reduced if the car in front breaks suddenly. Forward collision avoidance systems and adaptive cruise control are two new technologies that prevent tailgating and can massively reduce these types of accidents.

Forward collision avoidance systems use a series of sensors to measure the distance from the vehicle in front. When you get too close, the system alerts you and reminds you to slow down. It may also prepare the brakes for a sudden stop and, if you fail to respond to the initial alert, apply braking suitable to the situation.

Adaptive cruise control works in a similar way. It maintains a safe distance from the car in front when driving in heavy traffic. This technology is more common in high-end cars because of its cost, but it is beginning to find its way to more common vehicles including the Ford Fusion.

More advanced forward collision avoidance systems may also prepare the car for an accident. This could include closing windows, adjusting seat belts and positioning back and headrests to minimize injuries. Mercedes-Benz has shown much leadership in this category.

If these systems are not factory fitted, then you can add them as a modification to your car. To avoid paying increased premiums for modifications, read more about specialised modified car insurance.

side mirrors

Changing Lanes and Blind Spots

As car design advances, accidents involving blind spots have increased. This is mainly due to lighter materials being used in manufacturing which require larger pillars for support. Pillars, unfortunately, obstruct a driver’s view and are one of the main causes of blind spot accidents.

Blind spot detectors use sensors to monitor the parts of the car that the driver is unable to see and warn of any vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles that are in the way. They greatly reduce the risk of accidents while maneuvering or passing another vehicle.

Another driver risk, especially on long regional journeys, is colliding with something after inadvertently moving into another lane. Lane departure warning and prevention systems prevent this. They track your position in your lane and alert you if you are straying out of it. Some systems may also lightly apply the brakes or gently steer you back into the lane if you start to stray.


See Also — What You Must Do Following a Car Accident


Preventing Driver Fatigue

In a perfect world, you wouldn’t drive when you are feeling tired, but we have all done it. Whether it’s that commute home from work after a particularly bad day or taxiing your teen kids home from a party, there are plenty of reasons why you may need to drive when you are less than 100 percent alert.

Driver fatigue may be responsible for up to 20 percent of road accidents (source: ROSPA). Fatigue warning systems monitor driver and vehicle performance and provide a warning to the driver if they seem impaired. These systems monitor things like driver action, such as eye or facial movements, the car’s position within its lane and the amount of steering wheel movement. More detailed information about these systems can be found on the EC Mobility and Transport website.

driver fatigue

Maintaining Vehicle Control

Many single-vehicle accidents are caused by drivers losing control of their car on sharp turns or during tricky maneuvers. Electronic stability control systems vastly reduce the chances of these kinds of accidents occurring.

Combining sensors and a microcomputer, electronic stability control systems apply the breaks and moderate engine power to ensure that the car stays safely on the road. This prevents skidding and reduces the possibility of rolling the vehicle. Full details, of how these systems work, can be found on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website.

Improve Your Driving Skills

Although all these advanced technologies are great, there’s still no substitute for driver skill. If you think your skills are lacking, or you’ve got into some bad habits recently, consider brushing up your skills with an advanced driver course. More details can be found on the Institute of Advanced Motorists website.


See Also — Flummoxed by New Car Technology? You Are Not Alone.

Photo credits: Susan Pinna (#1 and #2) and Dreamstime (#3).

Filed Under: Engineering & Technology Tagged With: blind spots, fatigue, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, safety, stability control

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