[Zezé]

Originally Posted by gkveda

Very informative thread on how to avoid drowsiness! Almost every aspect is covered on what to do when feeling drowsy while driving.

Usually, to avoid drowsiness while driving (Whether night drive OR day driving), I will plan the rest points on Maps(in GPS) before starting the driving. Usually these points will be apart by 1.5 to 2 hours. Since the GPS continuously displays the distance between next rest point and current location, brain will be striving to reach the next rest point. This avoids the brain from going to passive mode(Or drowsiness mode)

We are traveling to Goa next week and will be using Google Maps to navigate. Would appreciate, if you could tell me how to set rest points on Maps. Would be very helpful since only I will be driving anc cannot afford to allow the brain to go passive.

[gkveda]

In MapmyIndia, we can go to route planning -> add ViaPoints and add as many via points as required. The map will show a flag and the distance to cover is continuosly displayed with reference to via point and NOT final destination.

Once a via point is reached, I will make sure to stop the car and take a coffee/bio/stretch break for 10 mins, wash face with cold water and move ahead

[BB311]

I've traveled extensively with my dad as a driver when I was a kid. Back in those days my dad used to drive from Srinagar to New Delhi non stop, due to dangerous conditions in J&K and Punjab. I still use his tricks and rules to stay awake on long drives.

1. Sleep at least 8 hours before the drive. Prefer starting according to your biological clock.
2. Whenever you feel sleepy, stop the car, and run as fast as you can, as long as you can.
3. Drink a lot, the more hydrated you are the better. A discharge only when you find a toilet. believe me controlling your bladder keeps you more concentrated :P
4. Talk to your wife. If this does not help, make her talk bad about your family (although this does not work nowadays, as we all are in nuclear families, so bahu and saas rivalries are now a bygone era.
5. Eat as light as possible, avoid starchy products, prefer protein.
6. If you have diabetes, keep some snacks with you along with glucose tablets. That sleep bout might be low sugar too.

[trtraj]

Great thread as usual !!

Here is my little story, That was a day in Aug 2008 which woke me up literally from the over confidence in driving. I was driving from Sivakasi to Bangalore with my father who got down half the way to go to Chennai. I still don't remember how i drove 17 kms (A2b on Salem-Krishnagiri highway to Krishnagiri Flyover). After that day, i recollected that whole drive and felt "what would have happened if i met with an accident ?"

Since then I have been cautious on driving long distance and making sure i follow the below

1. Drink Tea or light meal every 200 kms
2. Have peanuts in stock (which keeps me active while munching), Chewing gums is alternate and nowadays i keep candies too.
3. Stretch out whenever required
4. Never drive if you are sleepy

A power nap helped me in all the times be it short or long duration. Whenever i feel sleepy i pull over at a bright or well lit place with the window scrolled down by 1/2 an inch for fresh air.

Once the tiredness reduces i start hearing vehicle or horn sound or feel the sweat (if its daytime). I presume that as a ticket to drive again.

There are days where i took 3 naps for a 330 km drive too !! but never felt shame or took a chance to push my limits.

I drive alone 90% of time, and i sing along with my songs which is also a good factor which keeps me active. I don't dare to sing while someone is there in car.

Originally Posted by ike

Guys, what if you work regular night shifts and usually sleep during the day? Is day time driving to be avoided then? I have recently started working the U.S shift (1800 Hrs to 0300 Hrs) and have trouble falling asleep at nights I'm not working. I also feel drowsy during the day.

The added trouble is that I work on this shift for 2 weeks in a month and revert to regular timings for the remainder of the month(1200 Hrs to 2100 Hrs), I think my body clock is getting confused

Same with me, I work in US shift in Bangalore and I drive to Chennai every weekend after my shifts, I agree that our bio cycles are completely changed. But, I personally feel that you shouldn't be avoiding the day time driving unless you feel uncomfortable.

[BB311]

Originally Posted by trtraj

G
Same with me, I work in US shift in Bangalore and I drive to Chennai every weekend after my shifts, I agree that our bio cycles are completely changed. But, I personally feel that you shouldn't be avoiding the day time driving unless you feel uncomfortable.

Similarity !!!! We both are Ecosport Owners and work in US timings. I guess the best possible approach for us to go on a long drive is sleep for 6-8 hours after the shift and than hit the road. However, due to time constraints I always find this impossible and normally I drive to the location directly from my office.

Any better approach / solution would be appreciated.

[arunphilip]

A very compelling image about the risk of driving while drowsy - you might not be the only victim!

[Gansan]

I have a few personal rules for highway driving.

1) Avoid night time driving as far as possible.

2) Go to bed a couple of hours early, and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep the previous night.

3) Start early but not too early. Not earlier than 6.00 AM.

4) Eat lightly, both breakfast and lunch. A full stomach can make us drowsy.

5) A small break at least every 3 hours.

6) If taking an unfamiliar route, take a very familiar car; If driving an unfamiliar car, take the most familiar route.

[sknglobal]

An amazing post GTO. Thanks so much for bringing this out and dozing on the wheels has been one of the prime reasons for the many fatal accidents on our roads. I have many instances to share on this which occurred to me and also with some of my friends.

I have lost one of my friend's for that he dozed on the wheel. He was newly married and had hit the road after a brief stop on the highway dhaba on GT road for the lunch. Immediately after half an our he dozed and hit the median and car toppled multiple time. The roof of the car caved in and he died on the spot and the co-passenger (his better half) escaped with serious bruises. It was really a tragic thing to hear at that time.

As far as my experiences are concerned, I have to accept that there were situations which really challenged me and all of these happened in the wee hours between 2 am and 4 am.

The first one was when we planned to travel from Bangalore to Trivandrum during 2011 in the afternoon and somehow we could only manage to start post 4 pm due to some official commitments. I ended up driving the whole night and somewhere in the wee hours after Tirunelveli I still have that sight in my heart crystal clear when I suddenly opened the eyes and then realised I could not recollect the last couple of minutes and the car was slowly drifting to the left. My car was occupied by wife, infant daughter and Mother in law. Immediately pulled over and stopped in a coffee shop, washed the face, head and poured some water all over the body. Had 2 cups of coffee and restarted after half an hour of rest. It still raises the hair even today.

The second one was during a trip from Bangalore to Rameshwaram and back with a night's stay at Rameshwaram. The return was not planned properly and the entire family decided to do a detour to Meenakshi Amman temple on the way back. After finishing off the pilgrimage at Rameshwaram we started back to Bangalore in the afternoon and reached Madurai at around 4 pm. I insisted to take rest since I have to drive and I knew it would be really late when we reach Bangalore and all others went to the Madurai Meenakshi temple. Unfortunately there were long ques for darshan & they came out only post 8 pm. Started back to Bangalore at 8.30 and had dinner somewhere in the outskirts of Madurai and finally could start only at 10. I had a tough time to steer my Innova post 2 am & was totally struggling to keep myself awake. I was stopping every 30-40 minutes for tea/ coffee and washing the face. Somehow managed to reach Bangalore at home by 5 am with God's grace.

That was the day and that was the decision which was taken on that day. Lessons royally learnt, and thereafter have always planned my long drives in a way where I can reach the destination before 11 pm come what may be.

Though there are no tips for keeping awake while driving but some things can aid; which are:

• Have a really stable and early night sleep prior to 2 days of the drive.
• Avoid fried food/ sweet food/ high carb during and immediately before the drive.
• Keeping highly hydrated is the ultimate key. That will not only reduce tiredness but the frequent natures call will be a strong deterrent
• Keep yourself occupied by some highway games. One of the things can be adding the number plate of the immediate car and subtracting the same with your own and if the number is +ve you increase the speed by 5 digits and if -ve decrease the speed by 5 points. If consecutively 3 times +ve or -ve comes then do the opposite to an extent of sum total and vice versa. This will engage your mind and help you regain yourself.
• Avoid driving in the most vulnerable time. For me it is between 2 am to 5 am.
• A bottle of strong club soda is a great tool for me. Washing your face and head in a severe situation really makes you fresh and energetic. It works for me.
• Opening the driver side window and closing every once in awhile keeps the oxygen levels high and the highway wind chill also wakes up others in the car.

Apart from the above it is paramount to consider the health, as someone in the previous post already mentioned that good health will definitely make you a safer driver.

[manipuriguy]

A very serious topic indeed, and a tendency which increases with age...dozing off on long hauls. Last week, after driving down from Delhi to Allahabad, I made the silly mistake of trying out the newly constructed Agra-Lucknow expressway from a little ahead of Firozabad onwards till lucknow to try and save an hour or so. Its a nice open and empty road but without a single halting point and no repair facility. Finally, due to the need for lunch, I drove down into Kanpur halfway through and got stuck in traffic till the night and got so tired that i couldnt keep my eyes open and had to sleep off in the car at Bamrauli just 20 kilometres short of my destination!! It was a very harrowing feeling of fighting sleep which can easily cause death through accidents. So I gave up and slept off. Mercifully. My resolution for the future :-- including the upcoming five day drive to Imphal from Allahabad---
a) A co driver is required for all long journeys. If your wife is not a good driver, hire one. A few thousand bucks is worth the benefits. If a friend agrees to come along, then its balley balley!!
b) Follow military style convoy timings if driving alone. That is, drive for 120 minutes or Two hours and have a 20 minute break. Every Six hours, have an hourly break and snooze. Never drive more than total 9 hours in a day when driving alone.
c) Avoid heavy breakfast, lunch or dinner. light snacks is the way.
d) Keep toffees, mints, and spicy or tangy treats around.in the car. Although my children hate me for it, I like plain normal pan parag, and find it keeps me alert as long as it lasts. But thats also a bad habit I guess, so out with pan masala.
e) Do not shy away from sleeping once you feel drowsy. Force yourself to relax. its not a race!! All journeys are pleasure trips! Find safe places to snooze like dhabas or petrol stations with toilet facilities nearby.
f) Wear cotton and keep yourself cool.
g) Wear eye shades to ease the strain on your eyes. If you use spectacles, buy yourself sunglasses of your eye power. All your spectacles should have anti-glare coating for night driving ease.
g) Keep drinking water every half an hour to keep yourself hydrated.
Stay Safe and Keep Moving!!

[Zezé]

Originally Posted by manipuriguy

b) Follow military style convoy timings if driving alone. That is, drive for 120 minutes or Two hours and have a 20 minute break. Every Six hours, have an hourly break and snooze. Never drive more than total 9 hours in a day when driving alone.

Very helpful hints to combat drowsiness on a long drive.

Just wanted a clarification. When you recommend never driving more than a total of nine hours in a day, are you referring to the actual driving time or does nine include the down time for breaks?

[manipuriguy]

Originally Posted by Zezé

Very helpful hints to combat drowsiness on a long drive.

Just wanted a clarification. When you recommend never driving more than a total of nine hours in a day, are you referring to the actual driving time or does nine include the down time for breaks?

Hi Zeze, the nine hours is the total driving time in a day.

[sinhead]

Originally Posted by manipuriguy

b) Follow military style convoy timings if driving alone.
d) Keep toffees, mints, and spicy or tangy treats around.in the car.

Thanks!! This two hour drive and 20 min rest is something I will surely follow the next time.
Even though I have been, since the past few times taking a 5/10 min break after 2 hours, but ignoring it has been an equally tempting option. Your post has just re-enforced the idea.

d)-> I have found chewing gum works well for me. A good sugarfree imported one if possible.
But options you mentioned seem good as well.

[gkveda]

Another for sure, time tested method is, Read the Team BHPs "Accidents in India" thread just before starting the driving.
I will bet you will never wink your eyes, during the entire driving stretch

I wanted to type this on lighter side. But, last weekend, I had to travel to Harihar (Totally unplanned trip). This trip made me write this on a very serious note

It so happened that I was reading Accident thread at around 7 PM on friday evening and I got a call to reach Harihara as soon as possible. So, we left at around 8 PM without any preplanning.

Believe me, I did not even wink the eye in the entire driving stretch of 4-5 hours since all those pictures and explanations of accidents were haunting me.

[N4Nikunj]

I have similar experience just sometime back. In that i was not involved but it was an another car on road. I was on a trip to kutch-bhuj. I was driving a Ford Figo Diesel Old model and we were going to Narayan sarovar happily and calmly cruising at around 80-90 KMPH on smooth 2 lane road. I don't remember exact location but there was a brand new TUV 300 coming from the opposite lane. It was an arrow straight road and TUV was not doing more then 40 KMPH.

Me and my uncle in the co-driver seat were noticing that the TUV was slowly coming in our lane i reduced my speeds to almost 20ish and started looking at the TUV that it was continuously coming in our lane and suddenly driver woke up or what but the driver swerved to extreme left (there was considerable distance between two of us) and due to this sudden movement driver could not control the vehicle and hits a small tree on the left side.

At that point of time we were stopped completely and watched the whole scene with our eyes. No airbags were deployed because none of the passengers were wearing seat belts. But the driver's nose was bleeding because of his nose hitting the steering. Everyone except the driver was escaped safely.
The driver went unconscious for about 10 minutes. When we asked him what happened he said i was slept for 4 seconds. There was no number plate on the car and they drove all the way from mumbai. How?
Lesson learnt that our drowsiness is dangerous for us as well as for other people too so DRIVE SAFE.

[gkveda]

Today, when I was window shopping Amazon, I saw an ad on the device which alerts the driver when he dozes off while driving. Not sure, how efficient and accurate is this. Also, not sure of the quality of this since I have not used this. But, thought would be worth to publish it here.

Interested friends can do a R&D on this and can take a call to purchase or ignore


http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00NAQOVF6/r...46EQ17ENMT9CNZ