[Sheel]

I initially thought this thread/poll is about, whether you are perturbed by your passenger sleeping...well, no, never, unless someone snores heavily.

I sleep if and only I am dead tired and someone I can trust [rare] is behind the wheel. Though majorly I am the one driving around. I just hate most people's way of shifting gears, leaving clutch after shifting gears [entire car shudders, jerks in propeller shaft] and entire way of driving, they simply can't anticipate and drive.

[blackwasp]

After getting my driving license, I find it very difficult to sit beside bad drivers ( not using indicators, keeping high beams on etc). Forgot sleeping, once in Pune, I told the cab driver to stop and I took over. Initially he was saying he was ok, but later on confessed that he had not slept the previous night. I also have made myself a TR license so I can drive yellow plate cars legally.

If friends or relatives are driving, I'll usually be on the front passenger seat chatting up with them. I've done many Mumbai Goa trips with my uncle and family. We used to depart by 1am after closing my uncles clinic and I would stay up to give company to uncle. One thing that I've learnt from all the night drives is to stay awake beside the driver and give him company. Even on overnight Volvo trips, I usually go sit in the cabin if there's space to sit and strike up a conversation with the driver.

So, it's a big NO to sleep for me if I'm a passenger in any vehicle. I'm only able to sleep in Aeroplane and Train trips.

However, I don't mind my rear passengers sleeping, but even I prefer to have a wide awake co-driver with me.

[samabhi]

I usually cannot sleep in a moving vehicle, unless I am dead tired and really cant hold off my sleep if its been a long travel. Happened very few times and I usually see myself staying awake through out all the drives even if I am not driving.

[AJITHAAA]

I can't sit in a car that is driven by someone else, anybody, not even the person who taught me the nuances of driving. It has to be only me behind the wheel and I don't need company. I can go the entire night driving without anybody talking to me. The only company needed are golden oldies from Yesudas, SPB, Rafi and the kind. But make sure to catch a couple of 45-60 min nap at toll booths. If totally not able to drive then prefer the left rear seat, buckle up and doze off.

[Whiplash7]

Originally Posted by N.r.K

On the other hand, I feel very sleepy when I'm not behind the wheels!
I've driven for hours without a break without getting tired. But won't last for half an hour awake if I'm idle and when someone else is driving.
I guess different strokes for different folks!

This is exactly what I fear about Autonomous cars of today that require you to be able to take over control when required. But if I'm sitting in the driver's seat and the car does most of the driving then I'm sure I would start feeling sleepy and would not be in a position to take over control. Either a car should be manually driven or completely autonomous(Level 5), Anything in between is dangerous in my opinion.

[mayd85]

Usually I cannot sleep in cars as the lateral movement is high. However, if I am too tired, then I can catch a good nap in the back seat. In the past, when I used the bus facility provided by my company for commuting to and from work, the evening nap in the bus was a must. Those 25-30 minutes of dozing off used to keep me refreshed till even 12 in the night. Despite the bus drivers driving like maniacs, I had somehow made a habit of ignoring the driving style and get some sleep.

[gkveda]

Voted for Sometimes.
The only reason I would go to sleep when others drive the car is, when I get sleepy.

I do not consider any other parameter for me to be awake(Driver will get drowsy, etc).

I just apply the below logic. When I drive ((99% of driving time in my car), I do not expect or ask any passenger to be awake. I do lot of day driving as well as night driving. My family (Including 2-3 relative circles) is so accustomed and confident of my driving, that they just sleep when I drive. This includes my brother and my wife who most of the times will be in co-driver seat. They know they are in safe hands and I do not go to sleep mode while driving.

So, same logic, I apply when others drive. First of all, I give them the wheels only when I am confident that they are safe drivers. Once this condition is satisfied, I do not worry much. If I get sleepy, will sleep. If I am not feeling sleepy, will just chat to pass time.

If I see the driver is struggling hard and feeling sleepy, I will take some debatable topic of his interest and start arguing with him (Example: Traffic jams are required in city to avoid accidents will be my argument for which most drivers disagree). This will make his brain fully active and my objective is achieved. Also, it will be fun to gather good points ONLINE while arguing such obvious debates.

[NiInJa]

I have a different problem, I cant sleep easily in a moving object, a car,bus or plane. I have to be very, very tired to sleep. I used to be awake the entire night when I travelled by Volvo from Bengaluru to Pune.

But for cases when I do have to, I dont sleep when the driver is a stranger even if I am too sleepy/tired, but if he gives enough confidence that he drives sensibly then I doze off most of the times. In case of my relatives driving, like my brother, uncle or dad I sleep without any worry with the exception of in-laws who are from Haryana
My BIL thinks he is born to race !

Voting for 'sometimes'.

[bijuiser]

As a child, I never slept while travelling in any kind of vehicle. But when I joined an IT-Company and decided to take the company cab for my daily long commute to office, things changed. I didn’t realize but somehow, I had developed the habit of falling asleep within five minutes after starting the travel. The reason was diagnosed- “Chit-Chat, Chit-Chat, Chit-Chat….. of my fellow LADY EMPLOYEES who regularly travelled with me.”

[GeeTee TSI]

Voted for never, as the view through the windscreen was always interesting for me.
In intercity (Volvo) buses I have struggled to book seats right behind the driver for the view and have been awake throughout my (earlier) Bangalore-Calicut rides through Wayanad.
I prefer the front passenger seat in cabs, awake, with the grab handle gripped (brace for lunatic driving). I also give a 'brace' gesture by touching the dash as it normally conveys the message of a near miss and usually the driver mellows down

[V.Narayan]

I sleep in aeroplanes flown by some one else, I sleep in trains driven by some one else, I sleep in buses driven by some one else so similarly I sleep in cars no mater who is driving. I love and need 20 minute power naps. Helps me stay active through the day.

[RoadSurfer]

When I am out on the highways, I rarely will give the wheels to someone else. Apart from one close friend with whom I have traveled a lot, I am not at all comfortable to be on any other seat but the driver's seat. Doesn't matter if it is my car or his
But I have voted for sometimes since I try to catch some sleep when getting back home by office cab. A small power nap of about 15 mins does help later on in the day.

[Zinda]

I have that problem - just cannot sleep when someone else is driving.
Even when I handover the steering to a friend who is seasoned driver of a similar vehicle (I have City, he has a Petrol Vento) with an intention to take some rest, I start getting weird thoughts of mishap etc right from the moment I shut my eyes!
And this fear gets fortified when there is a quick lane change/brakes applied etc, and I open my eyes.
After an hour or so I feel even more tired after multiple cycles of "shut eyes and try to sleep - weird thoughts - suddenly wake-up - try to sleep again", rather than I would have felt while driving all this while.

The problem still goes on!

But then there is an important factor behind this.
If you have spent almost all the time driving / riding when in a Car / on a bike, you are completely acclimatized to that position. Naturally, since you are completely involved into driving you do not feel the breaking/acceleration forces or lane departure as dramatic as your co-passenger would feel. And then you move to passenger seat, that involvement breaks and then you realize all these activities all the more.

[vishaljawahar]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Unfortunately for me, I just cannot doze off in a car driven by another person

You have read my mind!

For me, I think this is the only annoying part of travelling on road. I don't get any sleep at all. Be it a 150 kms drive or a complete night journey, I just cannot sleep. It's not that I don't want to sleep, in fact, many a times I have cribbedabout not getting sleep while being driven on the road -- I don't get sleep. So, if it's a night journey, I prefer train. Cursed one, maybe?

[shankar.balan]

When in an UBER/ Taxi I am always in the rear seat diagonally opposite the driver.
I always sleep in the car on the loooooong ride to and from the BLR Airport. Helped no doubt by the fact that flight timings are usually very early in the morning or late at night - either way.
I very very rarely get driven about in private cars since Im the primary driver at home. Unless it is abroad and Im going somewhere with a friend or someone at which time Im anyway all excited and hence rarely fall asleep.