Distracted Driving & Fatigue

Fatigue Facts to Know

-103 million people admit to have fallen asleep at the wheel -Drivers may experience "heavy lids" (short burst of sleep), or fall asleep for longer periods, severely increases chance of collision -100,000 of police reported crashed are due to drowsy driving -Sleepiness and driving cause slower reaction time, vision impairment, and lapses in judgment and delays -being awake for more than 20 hours is equal to .08% BAC

Critical Driving Behaviors

-Attending to the path of travel -Maintaining a line of sight -Allowing time and space needed to make speed and position adjustments -Coordinating driving skills -Eye-hand coordination, selecting pedal and controlling pedal pressure, procedural tasks, repetitive acts, etc.

Circadian Rhythm Fatigue

-Circadian rhythm is body's natural down time -Affects nearly everyone between 1 pm and 5 pm and around normal bedtime

Preventing Drowsiness

-Get adequate sleep (8-9 hours) -Prepare route to identify total distance, stopping points, other logistics -Drive with a passenger -Avoid medications that cause drowsiness

Warning Signs of Fatigue

-Heavy eyelids -Yawning repeatedly or rubbing eyes -Daydreaming -Trouble remembering miles driven -trouble keeping head up -Drifting from lane, following too closely or hitting a shoulder rumble strip -restless and irritable

Effects of Fatigue

-Impairs reaction time, judgement, and vision -Impairs senses and abilities (may not see objects clearly or in a timely manner) -May miss critical information: signs, lights, and sounds -Takes longer to process information or make decisions

Consequences of Divided Attention

-Missed brake lights, traffic signs, and signals - Not seeing pedestrian or animal -Drifting out of lane position -Running off the road -Inattentive Blindness -See what you expect to see -Objects blend and aren't obvious

Causes of Fatigue

-Physical strain (hard work) -Mental Strain (stress) -Monotonous tasks (long driving trips) -Illness -Lack of sleep -Sun glare -Overeating -Riding in a warm passenger compartment

Roadway Design Helps Fight Fatigue

-Rumble strips are designed to arouse sleepy drivers before they drive off the road -Even seeing the strips on the highway reminds people of the risk and the message -Used as alerting devices, but don't protect drivers who continue to drive while drowsy

Preventative Actions

-Take a break for a few minutes before driving -Take a quiet, less congested route home -Drive at reduced speed -Increase following distance to allow more time to respond -Be well-rested before starting out -don't overextend yourself -Determine reasonable distance in advance and top driving when you have reached your limit then start again, well rested, in the morning

What Doesn't Work

-Toughing it out -Playing the radio loudly -Driving at a faster or slower speed -Chewing gum -Opening the windows

Maintaining Alertness

-Wear sunglasses -Avoid heavy foods -Be aware of down time during the day -Drive with a passenger and take turns -Take periodic breaks -Take a nap if needed -Consume caffeine (but do not rely on it)

Things to Know

-You're 23 times more likely to be in a crash if you text -Sending and receiving texts takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 sec out of every 6 sec -at 55 mph, you travel a football field length (including end zones) without looking at the road (when you're texting)

Multitasking

Attempting to perform two or more tasks at the same time, divided attention

Inattentive Blindness

Brain is overloaded with input -Impossible for the brain to pay attention to every input it encounters

Secondary Law

For Under 18 and bus drivers: no cell phones (hands free or handheld)

Avoid Leaning Forward

Leaning forward and/or resting on your steering wheel will hinder your ability to control your vehicle properly -the more relaxed position of leaning forward leads to dosing or falling asleep while driving

Primary Law

Not texting

Visual Distraction

Taking your eyes off the road

Manual Distraction

Taking your hands off the wheel

Cognitive Distraction

Taking your mind off what you're doing

Let in Fresh Air

Ventilate your vehicle, open the window for fresh air or set the air vents to open and allow outside air to refresh the air in the vehicle

Divided Attention

compromises your cognitive, manual, and visual abilities

Operational Fatigue

fatigue brought on by driving long hours in heavy traffic or adverse weather conditions

Avoid Starting at Fixed Points

it makes your drowsy, -force your eyes to scan; use orderly visual search patterns to keep your eyes moving and your mind alert