Drowsy driving: Drowsy behind the wheel?

Kshamata Chavan
RoadToSafety
Published in
2 min readSep 13, 2019

When people start driving they know to wear a helmet, seatbelt, follow traffic signals and other rules associated with the road. But these are the rules which the government has enforced. But there are some rules made by ourselves that are necessary to follow.

Photo by Samuele Errico Piccarini on Unsplash

Drooping eyelids, frequent yawning, continuous blinking are some distractions when we feel sleepy behind the wheel. The risk, danger and often tragic incident can occur when it comes to drowsy driving.

But what is a cause that makes you drowse?-Not slept enough, untreated sleep disorders, medications etc., makes the person feels sleepy. Drowsiness makes the driver difficult to focus, restless and may increase the chances to miss the signals or signs on board.

Driving is an intricate activity that includes important various choices with every passing second. Hence, the person driving should drive responsibly and should be alert on the road.

Prevent drowsy driving before taking the wheel:

Photo by Handy Wicaksono on Unsplash
  • Get enough sleep! At least 7 hours of sleep a day, while teens need at least 8 hours.
  • Develop good sleeping habits.
  • If you have a sleep disorder or have symptoms of a sleep disorder such as snoring or feeling sleepy during the day, talk to your physician about treatment options.
  • Avoid drinking alcohol or taking medications that make you sleepy.
  • Check the label on any medications or consult to your pharmacist for the medications that make you sleepy.

--

--