[amvj]

During the first wave, my father in-law died, not due to COVID. We received a call in the early hours around 3am. That day I slept only around 12am. So I had a sleep for only 3hrs. I had to go to Palakkad and return to Bangalore on the same day. It was my worst 900km single day trip. While returning I had to stop and try to snooze 10-15min as I felt incredibly sleepy. The worst part was, none of the highway lodges accepted accommodation because of the COVID situation.

My son and my wife were travelling with me. My son who was around 3 has a weird habit of crying whenever I stop or slow down. That made stopping and trying to sleep almost impossible. Also, while returning it was midnight, stopping at places felt very unsafe. I stopped near some Petrol bunks during the return journey.

Thankfully somehow I managed to come back to Bangalore without any accident. After this event, I always stock some high caffeine drinks such as Red Bull or Monster in my household. I know they are not good for health, etc. but they are a life saver in dire situations where you cannot find shops to buy in the middle of the night.

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by GTO

• Red Bull has mixed reviews (related thread). Some BHPians insist that chewing gum & lemon juice help.

I discovered another diet quiet by chance - but you have to experiment what works for your body because I know people who feel very sleepy after coffee instead of becoming alert - Frozen Pineapple. I got the pre-cut pineapple cubes from BigBasket (you get a small Fresho brand mini-pack for less than 40 bucks). Put it in the freezer overnight before the trip so by the time you consume it the next day afternoon its just cool.

I rarely get more than 3-4 hrs sleep before a long-drive trip and it does wonders to my brain alertness levels.

[drshajul]

Great thread.. and so much information packet in the first few posts!

I just wanted to ask how effective will be drowsiness detection and alert systems in modern cars, now that such systems were being offered in more affordable cars. One of the reasons I booked the AX7 variant of XUV700 was this feature. But reading the owners manual does not inspire much confidence.

[adisan]

To my mind, falling asleep while driving is not the cause of mishaps and accidents. Continuing to drive when drowsy is the cause, of which falling asleep at the wheel is one of the effects. Mishaps and accidents could be additional effects.

And that cause can be totally under my control.

So, my first priority is to identify when my alertness levels start to come down. Then I try rolling the windows down for 5-10 minutes. If the drowsiness persists, then the next priority is to find a safe place for a power nap. Even 15-20 minutes will suffice. I do not like to force myself to be awake by splashing water on the face, or by having tea or coffee. The only exception to this will be, if the destination is less than half an hour away.


Having said all that, I try to plan my drives in such a way that I would not be likely to feel sleepy while driving.

[sachin_cs]

Rear-end collisions account for around 40 per cent of fatal accidents on highway stretches, with driver “sleepiness and fatigue” behind many of these crashes, according to an audit initiated by the government to bring down fatalities on national highways.

The study — a pilot audit of data on four highway stretches in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra totalling 557 km one way — also found several engineering defects such as gaps in medians, missing crash barriers, concrete structures kept along the road etc, all of which added to accidents and resultant fatalities. In the Agra-Etawah stretch, for instance, 7,500 such engineering faults were identified. The other three corridors that were audited are Etawah-Chakeri in UP, and Pune-Satara and Satara-Kagal in Maharashtra.
The four audited stretches had witnessed over 6,500 accidents over the past three years, of which over 1,600 were serious and fatal ones.

The auditors, NGO SaveLife Foundation, went through medical records of trauma care and data by highway concessionaires and found that fatigue, especially among drivers of commercial vehicles, led to them ramming into stationary vehicles or slow-moving vehicles from the rear. “There were no tyre marks which means brakes were not applied. The drivers most likely fell asleep and drove into another vehicle,” said Piyush Tewari, SaveLife founder and member of the National Road Safety Council.

According to the audit, apart from usual deficiencies such as drink driving, riding without helmets, lack of proper illumination in some stretches, lack of enforcement by state governments etc, what has also contributed to accidents are local factors related to the weather. Stretches in Uttar Pradesh had a lot of accidents occurring due to lack of visibility in the winter months. In the Agra-Etawah section, for instance, around 39 per cent of the fatalities and 32 per cent of the crashes took place in misty/foggy conditions.
Maharashtra had the problem of “hydroplaning” in the monsoon months leading to vehicles going out of control.

Between 50 and 60 per cent of the accidents on the audited stretches took place in daylight, with collision of motorised two-wheelers and trucks accounting for a majority of those. The audit also assessed local trauma care set-up and found that instead of placing ambulances closer to accident prone zones, they were stationed at equidistant locations.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has set aside 12 more stretches totaling around 4,000 km across 15 states — which contribute to 85 per cent of all accidents and fatalities in a year on Indian roads — to be audited by SaveLife Foundation. This, after the ministry noted that the NGO had carried out a similar audit on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and, following the implementation of the recommendations, fatalities reduced by 52 per cent between 2016 and 2020. Ministry officials said that based on the findings and recommendations of the audit of the four stretches, rectifications are being carried out.

India has the dubious distinction of witnessing around 5 lakh road accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths from them every year.

Source- Indian Express

[ghodlur]

Experts need a help.

I am associated with maintaining safety of the Fuel Tanker truck drivers and have been intending to showcase something on the Highway Hypnosis. Any reference material, videos or links related to the subject in Indian context will be highly appreciated. Intend to keep the drivers safe with some training or scheduled safety topic discussions.

In case the material cant be shared in the forum, request to message me where i can provide the email address for sharing,

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Any reference material, videos or links related to the subject in Indian context will be highly appreciated. Intend to keep the drivers safe with some training or scheduled safety topic discussions.

Don't know if this helps, but still:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...blindness.html

[Jaison]

I can relate very much to the topic here. I personally have been in this sleep state very many times before. The points and threads here are eye opening. My loved personal mobility was always a motorcycle. Till 2014 I used to frequently travel between Bangalore and my home town in Kollam(Kerala) for a year or two before I moved out of the country and it was 700+km one side ride. I used to do round trip a minimum of one time a month. Ride usually starts by 5 or 6AM, by sunrise you would be soo sleepy and the contributing factors include wind, comfortable jacket, initial sun rays and the constant engine sound. Its like a trans where you are in a different state of mind with all your reflexes slowed even eye movement is very difficult in case you need to change focus.

The one and only thing I have for all the people here is that, it is absolutely dangerous to drive when sleepy or tired. If any possibility it should be avoided at any cost or sleep off on some comfortable road side parking. Be very well rested and for the young people here your restless should be controlled and I mean every word of it. From a community point people should be educated more on this topic and I feel the younger ones are the people at risk.

[Ram22693]

I read up on this article a few years back about new music and how your brain comprehends the same and one of the things the article spoke about was how listening to new music stimulates our brains and refreshes us immediately. The thought behind that being songs you have already heard before, you subconsciously know what to expect as it plays, thus making you more comfortable and prone to dozing off whereas when you are listening to songs you haven't heard before your brain is in a state of alert because it does not know what to expect.

Knowing this really helped me get through most of my long drives and made it less tiring. I always make it a point to play new songs/playlists. I am glad we have services like Spotify & Amazon music that makes this so much easier than a decade ago.

[100Kmphormore]

I can vouch for this as a biker with 2 contrasting experiences on the same ride.

I had gone to the Nilgiris from Bengaluru on my Himalayan for 4 days on a solo ride. While I had just 4 hours of sleep when I started, (6 am) I made it a point to reach mysuru, was easy due to my morning cuppa. had breakfast and hot coffee at GTR which refreshed me considerably for the next 140 odd km. Took a photography break just before entering bandipura. I had left on a Thursday and hence did not encounter much traffic Always try to incorporate a leaving/coming back day as a weekday.
Just before entering and after the 36 hairpin bends, was a little tired after 9 hours of waking up and riding 280 km. It was around 2:30 pm and my eyes started to pull down, just 2 km away from the hotel when I see a TNSRTC bus out of nowhere. I fortunately pulled over in the nick of time. Immediately checked in and slept an hour before riding to doddabetta peak.

I left Kotagiri on the 4th day after having a great sleep of 8 hours, the 483 km back to Bengaluru seemed like a left hand job. Had to meet the Wonder Woman Kamalathal behind the one rupee idly! Also known as one rupee paaty idli tasted the wonderful idlis since it was just 80 km from Kotagiri. Hence the 483 km ride. Partly due to the expressways, but mind you, I was cruising at 100-110 kmph and hit 140 kmph many times before I left Hosur behind in 7 hours just due to good rest.

My 2 cents here is, always stay hydrated. The 40 degree Coimbatore heat could have easily got me a fever. Purchase a water bottle and always keep a snack for an emergency, especially diabetics. Share your location to your family. Last but not the least, stop after every hour and walk around for 5 mins, drink some water and then get a coffee.

[bblost]

My vacation in Chennai came to an end and I left for Hyderabad today morning at 6 AM.

My two kids were my passengers.
The previous few days were very well rested.

About an hour into the trip, it started raining.
This was heavy rain in heavy traffic.

But the sky was a bright shiny light as the rising sun was to my right.

Squinting and straining to see properly started taking a toll. Very soon I start feeling very sleepy.

I always have a flask of hot tea on my trips. I stopped after a toll gate and had some tea. This is something I have never needed to do before as I rarely need a break.

The tea helped, but for barely 30 mins.

Soon the drowsiness returned. I pulled over. Told my kids, that I will relax.

Opened my eyes after what I thought was 2 mins but in reality it was over 20 mins and according to my laughing kids, I was snoring away to glory.

Am so happy that I did not disregard the early warning signs and pulled over.

The 20 minutes nap was all I needed to resume my journey and I reached home without any more feelings of drowsiness or fatigue.

[old_cayuse]

Tamil Nadu Govt makes dorms must for drivers.

Acknowledging the link between road accidents and sufficient rest to drivers, TN government has made it mandatory for hotels and lodging houses to provide dormitories for drivers who accompany the guests

Source

[northstar*]

In late 2011, I experienced an accident due to drowsy driving. At the time, I was in my early 20s and frequently made long night drives between Trivandrum and Bangalore, covering 750 kilometers one way, usually with little to no prior planning. Resting before the drive was often not an option, and I relied on remedies like tea and chewing gum to stay awake. I was overconfident in my ability to drive until the incident occurred.

The accident happened on December 22, 2011, when my brother had a last-minute interview scheduled with an MNC. Trains and buses weren't viable options, so I devised a plan. I drove overnight to take him to Bangalore on the first day, planned to catch some sleep while he attended his interview on the second day, and then intended to drive back that night to reach home before Christmas Eve.

The drive to Bangalore went smoothly; my brother slept while I drove through the night and arrived on time. However, in Bangalore, I visited a friend I hadn't seen in a long time, and I didn't get much sleep. We began the return trip close to midnight, with my brother driving the first 100 kilometers before I took the wheel. Despite feeling somewhat tired, I had a "I've done this before" mindset, so I continued to drive through the night.

The incident occurred at daybreak around 6 am, just as my brother was waking up and offering to take over. I felt fully awake, but for a split second, I nodded off, and the car hit the divider in the middle of the road. Fortunately, only the front tire made contact with the divider, and I managed to steer the car back onto the road, but the damage was done. The rim was severely bent, the tire was damaged, and the lower arm and drive shaft were affected. Luckily, our speed was around 50-60 km/h as I was about to stop, and all passengers remained unharmed, even those in the rear without seatbelts. We had to tow the car home, which was 250 kilometers away, making it an unforgettable Christmas.

This incident left a lasting impact on me, causing me to avoid night drives or ensuring they end by 1 am at the latest.

However, there came a situation where I had to drive my XUV to Bangalore overnight. I had to begin the trip at 7 pm after a busy day, and I was the sole driver for the entire journey. I was certain I would feel drowsy during the drive, and I was determined to pull over at the first sign of fatigue. My XUV had primarily been used for city driving, so I had kept all the ADAS features turned off. However, I decided to activate everything as soon as I hit the highway, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Lane assist became my companion for that night; it beeped and vibrated the steering wheel whenever I changed lanes without signaling, which helped keep me engaged throughout the drive. I took regular breaks, and the ADAS greatly assisted me during that journey. While I'm not suggesting that technology can completely eliminate the risks associated with human tiredness, I found that ADAS can be a valuable ally on deserted highways during the early hours. Until then, I had been under the impression that ADAS wasn't very relevant in Indian scenarios, but that drive completely changed my perception. Now I strongly believe that ADAS and similar technologies can at least reduce some of the risks associated with night driving.

[redswift]

This post delves into my personal account of the challenges faced, from the carefree days of extended drives to the transformative impact of a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine on my overall well-being.

The Journey:

I'm 37 now. Three years ago, I could effortlessly embark on 12-hour drives, savoring the beauty of the night. However, a drive (about an year ago) from Ernakulam to Trivandrum marked the beginning of a struggle that extended beyond night drives. Despite a journey that typically took five hours, it stretched to nine as I had to pull over multiple times to combat an overwhelming need to sleep.

The ordeal didn't end with the night drive. In the months that followed, I found it increasingly difficult to perform routine tasks. I had been working from home since the COVID-19 pandemic. Lately, I discovered myself dozing off at the keyboard and losing focus after just an hour of work. Simultaneously, I started struggling to drive for more than 30 minutes, even during the day. During several drives, covering less than 20 kilometers, I grappled with the challenge of staying awake. There were instances when I came perilously close to hitting the divider or causing an accident. Fortunately, such accidents were averted. Concerned, my wife intervened, recognizing that something more serious might be at play.

Driven by a determination to uncover the root cause of the persistent fatigue, I turned to Google and stumbled upon symptoms that resonated deeply with my experience—excessive daytime sleepiness, struggles with focus, and a history of snoring. Recognizing these as potential indicators of sleep apnea, a visit to a pulmonologist followed.

A home-sleep-study was conducted to monitor my sleep patterns. The results were startling, revealing a severe case of sleep apnea. The oxygen saturation level (spo2) had dropped below 70% multiple times during sleep, accompanied by erratic heart rates ranging from as low as 40 bpm to over 100 bpm. Armed with this conclusive evidence, the pulmonologist recommended the initiation of CPAP therapy.



The Turning Point:

Embracing the CPAP machine proved to be a turning point in my life. Two weeks into consistent usage, a remarkable improvement was noted. Daytime sleepiness vanished, and the constant need to yawn disappeared. My overall energy levels soared, restoring a sense of vitality that had been absent for too long.

While I have yet to test the newfound energy on a long drive, I am optimistic about the positive impact the CPAP machine will have. The journey from the initial struggles with sleep apnea to the current state of improved well-being is a testament to the transformative power of early diagnosis and effective treatment.


By sharing my journey, the hope is to raise awareness about the importance of recognizing sleep apnea symptoms, seeking timely medical intervention, and embracing solutions that can significantly enhance the quality of life for those affected by this sleep disorder.

[SidTheChamp]

This reminds me of an incident a decade ago. I had gone to Bangalore for office work and returning back on Friday night.

During the drive to airport, the driver was initially all right. But during the end of the journey he started to show signs of drowsiness. I started chatting with him in order to keep him alert and he seemed ok. I was sitting in front passenger seat and that helped.

He also told he was driving since yesterday i.e since last 24 hours. I had told him to go to sleep after this trip and stop driving for the night. Though he said yes, he didn't seem convinced.

Now we had taken exit from highway and very close to reach to enter the airport security. He was really sleepy and at one stage fell asleep behind the wheel. Thankfully speed was really low around 10-15 kmph and no other car in vicinity. The car drifted for a few seconds while I pushed the driver. That awakened him. He dropped me at airport and if my advise is followed hopefully went to doze off.

As for me, I always try to drive during day time in highways and with proper sleep and rest. On the few occasions, i had driven in night I was more alert than usual because of night and reached max by 11 PM.

But the professional cab drivers I've seen ignores sleep like anything. They drive whole night and even in morning if a ride comes they are ready after a short nap. They may be used to that or atleast a good lot of them but one day if they get asleep before wheel its all over.