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Old 5th January 2013, 17:17   #31
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If you are fatigued, DO NOT drive. I don't see a material difference between driving while excessively fatigued, and driving while drunk - in both cases, you pose a danger to yourself and more importantly, to others on the road.

Use public transport if possible, or try and arrange your sleep schedule to avoid fatigue, or hire a driver (and insist that he report to work fresh for your early morning drive).

Red Bull is no different from having a cup of strong coffee for other applications (eg exam preparation, night outs at work etc.), and I don't think you will be materially worse off with it or with something else.
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Old 5th January 2013, 17:31   #32
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

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Originally Posted by Hayek View Post
If you are fatigued, DO NOT drive. I don't see a material difference between driving while excessively fatigued, and driving while drunk - in both cases, you pose a danger to yourself and more importantly, to others on the road.

Use public transport if possible, or try and arrange your sleep schedule to avoid fatigue, or hire a driver (and insist that he report to work fresh for your early morning drive).

Red Bull is no different from having a cup of strong coffee for other applications (eg exam preparation, night outs at work etc.), and I don't think you will be materially worse off with it or with something else.
I was not fatigued at all, i just felt little sleepy. and luckily had the red bull in the car. That is second red bull i ever had . But it did help in my case.
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Old 5th January 2013, 20:58   #33
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

Works for me on super long drives (600+ km). That is the only time I drink redbull and it definitely helps me in maintaining concentration.
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Old 5th January 2013, 21:27   #34
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

At the end of the day all energy drinks are essentially caffeine and sugar. It will give you a short sharp jolt and then your energy levels will fall off a cliff.

Ideally drive at the hours that work best for your body (morning person, night person etc) but I accept that this might be tough. Rest as much as possible before your trip and if you are feeling tired, get a quick few winks. Works wonders that.

I would not recommend prolonged use of any energy or caffeinated drink. The occasional one in an emergency is fine
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Old 5th January 2013, 21:44   #35
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

Feeling sleepy while on a road trip can happen due to unforseen circumstances.
But to plan a road trip knowing that you are liable to get into such a situation is imho sucidal.
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Old 5th January 2013, 23:47   #36
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

When on long drives, I keep a fruit / bottle of juice with me. I've seen that one sip once in a while gives you the sugar kick and keeps you alert. I've avoided using any energy drinks or fizzy drinks till date.

Last edited by nileshch : 5th January 2013 at 23:49.
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Old 6th January 2013, 03:08   #37
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

a redbull has same effect as that of coffee or tea i.e. of caffeine. no biggie. but it comes fancy with fizz and can be served cold. you might prefer that if its hot outside.

fizz and dehydration can have all the ill effects discussed in this thread. so it is not evil on its own. at the same time not a wonder drink either. keep yourself hydrated by drinking enough water. personally for me a tea break is a best way to get to back to driving because of actual break from the drive and caffeine in tea rejuvenates me!

Last edited by somspaple : 6th January 2013 at 03:09.
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Old 6th January 2013, 14:43   #38
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

1, Short nap if possible
2, Cup of tea
3, Wash face with cold water
4, Chewing gum
5, Lime Soda sweet
6, Music (not ghazals/light music but with beats)
These work for me.

Red Bull is Caffeine + Taurine & will do more bad than good.
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Old 6th January 2013, 21:23   #39
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

I once drank Red Bull when I had to drive all night from Goa to Bangalore. Unfortunately, the effect wore off in some hours and suddenly I was so tired that I had to sleep when my friends stopped for tea. That small sleep helped better than Red Bull.

Now a days I chew gum, or eclairs. It helps a lot. But I don't think there is a foolproof solution.

How about driving with your right hand outside the car, holding a 1000 Re note?
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Old 6th January 2013, 21:31   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyline GT-R View Post

Red Bull is Caffeine + Taurine & will do more bad than good.
I wholeheartedly agree with this. A synthetic compound to tweak nervous system is unwarranted. I have seen many cases of its abuse by younger consumer.
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Old 7th January 2013, 10:42   #41
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

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Originally Posted by vivekiny2k View Post
Another thing I have found is a difference of just 30 minutes in waking up can make a lot of difference in energy level throughout the day. Find your sweet spot and try to stick to it.
+1 to this. It always helps to modify your sleep timings to get just the right amount of sleep. I have always realized that a good nights sleep does keep me going for much longer durations.
Another thing to note, is to make suttle changes to your Dinner schedule and Breakfast schedule. Eating a light dinner and a light breakfast before you start helps quite a lot.

While Red Bull does help get rid of the drowsiness, I don't think its the best solution in the long run. Dehydration due to consumption of Red Bull is very noticeable.
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Old 7th January 2013, 11:14   #42
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

Believe or NOT!! One of the best ways to reduce fatigue while driving is to chew GUM. Its worked for me every time.

Actually this has been scientifically proven by a group of scientists in Germany. They did a research on a bunch of school students regarding their concentration period. Chewing gum keeps the brain alert since the jaws are always in motion more blood will be pumped to the upper part of the body. In the research conducted they could prove that students chewing gum had a considerably longer attention span.

Red Bull also has worked for me but I try to keep away from energy drinks unless absolutely necessary.

At present I keep a regular supply of Wrigleys in my car all the time. My wife actually feeds me GUM if she sees me yawning frequently !!!
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Old 7th January 2013, 11:33   #43
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

What works for me, ordered by effectiveness:
1. adequate sleep
2. Water. and subsequent pee breaks where I sit somewhere on a bench or under a tree either looking away from the road, or just close my eyes for a few minutes
3. Talking with the co passenger if awake, or singing along withe the song being played.
4. Dry dates, deseeded. But very occasional use

I also avoid driving too much at a stretch and driving at night. I have tried sharing driving duties, but I feel tired and sick if someone else drives.

No Red Bull, no sugar, no soda, no fried or oversalted or spicy stuff. Yes, I am finicky about this!
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Old 7th January 2013, 11:35   #44
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

Here's one out of the box method to stay awake. Was shared to me by a tempo driver one late night at a road side dhaba when i stopped for a cup of tea and biscuits.

They are used to their routine and know how by when they feel sleepy. So just half and hour before they feel drowsy, they start drinking water. By the time the drowsiness has set in, they get the urge to pee. But they don't. This urge to pee completely knocks of the sleep. This will keep them going for quite a while till they have to stop to relieve themselves. Then they stop, pee and take a nap. This gives them an hour more of driving with concentration according to him.

This is not my idea, this was what was told to me. Ofcourse, a nephrologist would kill you if you did that over prolonged period since it is bad for the bladder.

But, it works, i tried it once just to test the theory after a night otr and the urge to pee definitely reduces the drowsiness. But, having said that, nothing like a power nap!

Disclaimer: This is just for that one time situation. Doing this on a regular basis will cause major bladder issues.
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Old 7th January 2013, 12:32   #45
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Re: Does Red Bull / Any Energy Drink reduce driving fatigue?

At times when I start a trip early in the morning (around 5:30am) I have felt a little bit drowsy - even after a decent night's sleep. What has worked for me is not using the day/night feature of the IRVM of my car and letting some of the light from the following vehicles fall on my eyes.
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