The best remedy for driving fatigue is to take a break and refresh. Driving fatigue is the cause of over 300,000 car accidents and over 6,000 fatalities every year, according to the National Safety Council. When fatigue sets in, attention wanes, and reaction speed diminishes. You may even drift out of full consciousness. Twenty hours without sleep has a similar effect to a blood alcohol level of 0.08%, the limit for drunk driving, even if you are fully sober.
Unfortunately, driving fatigue is extremely common. People push themselves too hard. Perhaps you were already fatigued when you entered the vehicle, simply longing to return home and rest. It’s possible that you have a considerable distance ahead, and exhaustion gradually envelops you. In certain instances, it could be an urgent situation occurring in the dead of night.
What we do know is that you can reduce the danger to yourself and others by taking steps to manage your driving fatigue. The best remedy for driving fatigue is to pull over and take a nap when you need one. We can help with these twelve effective remedies for driving fatigue before and after you get behind the wheel.
1. Get Enough Sleep
If you know that you’re going to be driving, try to get enough sleep the previous night. Go to bed a little early or sleep in a little late. Charge up your “sleep battery” so you are very well-rested when it comes time to drive. This is true whether you’re preparing for your daily commute or planning a road trip. Getting enough sleep can help avoid getting drowsy on the road.
2. Drive Early When Possible
Your body expects to sleep at night, especially between the hours of midnight and 6 am. Driving at night makes most people feel more tired.
Night Owls: Not everyone has the same natural body clock. Statistically, most people are diurnal (alert during the day), but if you’re a night owl or have an alternate personal schedule, learn your “best hours” and prioritize driving this way.
If you have a long trip ahead, it’s better to start driving soon after you wake up instead of later in the day. Try to get most of your driving done in daylight and with the shortest number of hours awake before you start driving. Remember the 20-hour rule we discussed earlier? It’s better to drive with fewer wakeful hours than risk crossing into the fatigue zone. If you must drive at night or after you’ve been awake for a while, take a nap first to restore your energy.
3. Eat Light
The best remedy for driving fatigue is to eat a light meal beforehand and pack a few light snacks. Avoid loading up on fast food on the road. Slowly noshing on a carton of chicken nuggets will keep you more alert than a big burger with fries.
Pack sandwiches or wraps to snack on during a road trip. Cups of light finger foods like vegetables, fruit, or popcorn can also help you stay awake and avoid the full-belly drowsiness that greasy fast food can inspire.
4. Never Drive While Intoxicated
Never combine driving with intoxication. It includes a glass of wine with dinner, a round with your friends, or even medicine that makes you drunk. If you’re affected by a chemical, even a prescribed one, don’t get behind the wheel. Feeling alert and capable doesn’t guarantee accurate perceptions of your abilities. In an altered state, you can’t predict when your energy levels might suddenly drop.
Intoxicated driving mistakes have resulted in injuries and fatalities, totaling far too many cars. If you realize that you need to get home after you have become intoxicated, make other plans. It’s worth imposing on a friend or paying for an Uber to avoid getting in a crash on the way home.
5. Maintain a Stimulating Environment
There’s a reason people on road trips play the radio or roll with the windows down. A stimulating environment can help you stay awake, alert, and aware of any potential dangers on the road. The longer you drive, the more crucial it is to avoid “highway hypnosis” of an unchanging environment inside the car with the unchanging road scenery before you.
Roll down the windows, crank the music, and keep the AC on your face. Especially, if you start feeling drowsy.
6. Talk to Yourself
Maintaining a light conversation can also be helpful. If you don’t have someone to talk to, talk to yourself. It might sound crazy, but talking out loud keeps your mind alert and can help you process the scene around you if you’re getting sleepy. You can keep yourself awake and engaged while driving by talking to other cars, chatting with the radio, or singing along casually.
Talking to yourself can be especially helpful if you have to drive at night. The effort of forming your thoughts into words and then reprocessing what you hear adds all your senses to the effort of driving and helps you stay awake.
7. Stay Hydrated
Poor hydration leads to fatigue with or without driving. It means drinking plenty of water or hydrating beverages will improve your overall health and your ability to stay awake. Taking sips of your drink is an action that you can use to mark time and stay engaged, and your body will give you more energy with water to process through your cells.
Choose water, juice, sports drinks, or lemonade rather than soda or coffee when you can, as these are more hydrating. Ensure you have a sturdy cup with a straw or a water bottle you can pull from safely while paying attention to the road.
Plus, stopping to pee every couple of hours will give you a chance to walk around, improve blood flow, and stay awake.
8. Take Turns Driving
Driving with a partner is one of the best remedies for driving fatigue because both people can work together to reduce the risk. There are two ways to do this for long road trips. The first is to take turns driving and talking to keep each other awake, alert, and entertained during the drive. It is a classic road trip and involves stopping for the night so both of you can sleep. Using this method, neither person gets too road-weary or inattentive from driving too long.
The other method is to take turns driving while the person not driving sleeps. It is the best way to drive through the night, especially if one person is already a natural night owl. The driver should be able to play the radio quietly or use one earbud (always keep at least one ear open while driving for audio signals of danger) while the other person sleeps. You will still have periods where both people are awake and able to hang out and keep each other company, as well.
If each person is good at different kinds of driving (ex. city driving vs. long highway driving), swap to get the best skill during each leg of the trip.
9. Maintain an Alert Body Posture
Sit up straight and practice good posture. An alert body posture will automatically help your brain fight driving fatigue. It may be tempting to lean back in the comfy driver’s chair and drive casually. It can be a cool way to drive for short trips in the middle of the day, but on long trips, when the risk of driving fatigue is high, stay alert. Straighten your chair back and get comfortable in an upright position.
Even with cruise control on, keep your driving foot ready and alert to respond quickly to changes in traffic flow and the possibility that you might suddenly need to maneuver. Place your off-foot in a relaxed but alert position on the resting point to the left of the pedals. The more tired you get, the more upright and alert you should be.
10. Consume Caffeine
Caffeine is not the best solution to driver fatigue, but it helps. If you’re a coffee person, drink coffee or bring those little bottled espresso lattes with you in the drinks cooler. If you’re not a coffee person, try mixed pre-workout, energy drinks, or energy “shots.” For long trips, even time-release caffeine pills can be helpful.
Caffeine provides a slightly better energy arc than pure sugar (less of a crash) and can get you through those last couple hours of a road trip where your energy is starting to flag. If you need to perk up on the road, caffeine is your answer. Fortunately, you can get some different flavors at any gas station convenience store.
Use your knowledge of your caffeine tolerance to gauge which is the right solution and strength for your driving alertness needs. If you don’t normally drink coffee or other sources of serious caffeine, start light. Even a caffeinated soda may do the trick. If you drink coffee all day long, you might need an extra strength energy shot instead.
11. Take Breaks When Necessary
Remember that you can always take a break. If you’re getting highway hypnosis, pull over at the next gas station or rest stop and walk around. Stretch, get your blood flowing, and breathe some fresh air. Maybe even jog around a little. Your brain and body are closely linked in terms of activity and energy.
Buy a light snack; salty is better than sweet for alertness. Rehydrate with a lemonade or sports drink while you’re at it. You will feel a lot better after your break, and your brain will be able to focus on driving again. You may also find that those driving aches and pains have disappeared, as well.
12. Catch a Nap
The best remedy for driving fatigue is to stop when you are weary. If you’re feeling sleepy while driving, take a quick nap. Even 15 minutes with the car safely parked and your eyes closed can help. It will restore some vital energy you need to pay attention to the road.
But a 30-minute to 2-hour nap is even better. Even if you don’t have a hotel room booked, you can catch a few hours napping at a rest stop or even a retail parking lot (Walmarts are ideal), so you wake up closer to dawn, feeling refreshed and ready to go the rest of the distance. Just remember to turn off your headlights before you throw your arm over your eyes to sleep.
Stay Alert and Stay Safe Behind the Wheel: The Best Remedy for Driving Fatigue
The hazards of driving fatigue are undeniably significant, and drowsy driving is exceedingly prevalent. This is why it’s crucial to make an active effort to stay alert while driving to avoid car accidents.Â
If you have been the victim of a car or truck accident that stemmed from drowsy driving, our lawyers can help. Just because you stayed awake doesn’t mean the other driver was winning that same battle. Drowsy driving is dangerous, and many people start to doze, putting others at risk without even realizing it. Contact one of our lawyers today for a free consultation. The Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers legal team can help you get the justice and insurance settlement you need to cover injuries after a drowsy driving car accident. And remember, the best remedy for driving fatigue is to prioritize rest and take breaks when necessary.
Jeffrey Nadrich
Jeffrey Nadrich is a nationally-recognized California plaintiff’s personal injury attorney. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Hastings College of the Law. He has successfully represented thousands of injury clients over the last 40 years.
