How to be a LERT while driving:
Sleep/naps: Try to get enough sleep everyday. If you do stay up late, take an afternoon nap. If you feel drowsy while driving, you may not be getting adequate sleep.
Caffeine: Avoid caffeine during the last half of your day as it can contribute to sleep problems. You can gain short-term alertness by drinking coffee or other sources of caffeine if driving, but it usually takes 30 minutes to take effect and wears off after a few hours.
Regular stops: You should stop at least every 100 miles or 2 hours. Switch drivers if you can.
Avoid Alcohol: If you have been drinking, please don’t drive! In addition to being illegal, alcohol makes you sleepy and amplifies your fatigue. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of a crash.
Plan ahead for long trips: If possible, get a good night’s sleep the night before. Avoid driving during the body’s “down time”. According to AAA, this is generally in the mid-afternoon and between midnight and 6:00 am.
Keep your focus. It may seem simple, but keeping your eyes open and your ears tuned into the sounds of the road is key to safe driving. Do not text message, dial your cell phone, or listen to headphones while driving. This only limits your ability to drive safely.
Keep your brain on driving: Too many distractions such as talking on a cell phone or to passengers, reading, or listening to headphones or loud music overload your brain. Driving should be your brain’s only focus when you are on the road.
Distracted Driving
Sometimes driving can seem automatic, but remember nothing about driving should become routine. Staying focused and free of distractions is a great way to avoid problems on the road such as crashes and traffic violations.
Have you ever done the following while driving?
- Tuned the radio
- Put in a CD
- Ate, drank, or smoked
- Combed your hair or put on makeup
- Picked up something on the floor or between the seats
- Talked on your cell phone
- Joked, argued, or turned around to talk with other passengers
- Read a map or newspaper or checked your calendar
If you answered yes to any of these, then you were not paying attention to your driving.
Nationwide, driver distraction is a contributing cause in 10% of fatal accidents and 24% of all accidents. 284,000 crashes were caused by drivers who were not paying full attention while driving.
Drowsy Driving
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that approximately 100,000 police-reported crashes annually (about 1.5 percent of all crashes) involve drowsiness or fatigue as a main cause.
Signs of Drowsy Driving:
- Can’t remember the last few miles driven
- Drift from lanes or hit a rumble stump
- Yawn repeatedly
- Tailgate or miss traffic signs
- Have wandering or disconnected thoughts
- Difficulty focusing or keeping your eyes open
- Have trouble keeping your head up
