[luvDriving]

Well I have to confess a lapse of concentration while umm I had stopped at a signal

Today morning while coming to office it was heavy traffic as usual and I had stopped at a red signal. As usual pedestrians were crossing in between our cars. Now there was this young chap who started crossing from the right and I did look at him. I find it worth mentioning here that I (stupidly) had not engaged the handbrake and I was actually in first gear with both brake and clutch depressed. The road was on an incline so I had my hand on the handbrake so as to not roll back.

This chap was now right in front of my car and right at that moment my foot on the brake relaxed a bit and the car moved maybe an inch forward. Fortunately he was not that close but close enough to have to jump. I did say sorry and then decided to not skip on the handbrake, especially on inclines.

[Turrrb0]

Originally Posted by luvDriving

Well I have to confess a lapse of concentration while umm I had stopped at a signal

Similar for me too. Sometimes at the end of the long day, at a signal. I stop at the red and then I proceed to go into a day dream. Once the signal breaks and I snap out of the dream, I suddenly find myself lost and unable to recognize where I am. This only lasts momentarily of course, in a second I'm back on track and ready to go!!

[Bibendum90949]

I just came across this piece on the web.

Highway hypnosis is a state of mind that is experienced by car or truck drivers while driving over long distances. This phenomenon happens only on extremely smooth and traffic-free roads. The driver feels like “sleeping with eyes wide open” while operating the vehicle and the accelerator. It can lead to high-speed accidents and is the reason behind many such accidents.

The Indian roads have improved massively over the years. The Indian government is adding hundreds of kilometres of roads every day, which is improving the situation of the roads. The authorities are adding expressways and highways every day, which has made travelling throughout the country much easier and smoother. However, with the improved roads create a different kind of problem that can be extremely dangerous for road users. Even National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) says Highway Hypnosis is one of the most dangerous things and can lead to accidents. Here is how it is extremely dangerous.

Highway Hypnosis

Highway hypnosis is a state of mind that is experienced by car or truck drivers while driving over long distances. This phenomenon happens only on extremely smooth and traffic-free roads. The driver feels like “sleeping with eyes wide open” while operating the vehicle and the accelerator. It can lead to high-speed accidents and is the reason behind many such accidents.

This sounds extremely scary and it sure is very scary too. There are many drivers who drive over long distances and they say that they don’t have any memory of the journey has been and how did they complete the long drive. The brain is a complex thing and while driving over long distances, the brain takes over the things like steering and without any traffic on the road, the brain does not actively participate in controlling the steering and the accelerator. The comfortable seat of car, quiet environment, a favourite song in the background and monotonous roads without a corner makes the brain go into a trance-like effect. It can go on for hours or minutes depending on the road.

What can highway hypnosis do?

Whenever a person experiences highway hypnosis, the active brain starts to slow down and automates the processes. It is like the non-decision making part of the brain is controlling the steering wheel, the accelerator and the whole car. It can lead to high-speed accidents because of delayed reactions. By the time, one comes back to consciousness and the driver may just freeze or fail to act in time. Since this happens on the smooth, traffic-free highways, the driver gets very less time or no time to react.
NHAI conducted several studies on NH2, which passes through West Bengal on the same. The study was done between Barakpur and Dakuni, which are one of the straightest and smoothest roads in the country. The study revealed that about 60% of the accidents cause on the newly made highways and the reason behind them is highway hypnosis. The study was done a few years ago and it was a wake-up call for the authorities and the motorists.

How can you prevent highway hypnosis?

It is difficult to know when you enter the highway hypnosis but there are a few ways that can be used to avoid the situation.

Breaks. Take frequent breaks on the highway when you’re driving for a long time. A break every 90 minutes will keep your concentration level high and will keep you alert on the road.

Avoid driving in the graveyard hours when the body is used to sleep. Driving in such hours can make you fall asleep on the wheel easily.

Drinking highly caffeinated products like Red Bull will make you feel less tired but once the caffeine affects goes away, the body becomes dehydrated and feels more tired. The best way to work around this is to take a short nap.

If you’re feeling sleepy, stop the car on the side and sleep. If you cannot do that, turn off the AC, crack open the windows and make yourself uncomfortable. The body cannot fall asleep easily when uncomfortable.

If you think the roads are becoming boring and monotonous, pull over, park the car, play a game, walk around, or check your social media platforms. It will bring your attention back to the road in a snap.

https://www.cartoq.com/what-is-highw...IvLQTrdZtBVbos

[Nalin1]

Whenever there are four or five family members, there is a loud conversation happening regardless of the driving conditions or speed.

Invariably, the driver gets sucked in to it and it is up to him to keep ignoring the talks and focus.

I did respond once to some remark and nearly hit a barricade on the Bangalore-Chennai highway .