Maggie's Law – New Jersey, USA Maggie's Law was passed in June 2003 and makes it illegal to knowingly drive a vehicle while impaired by lack of sleep. Drivers who kill someone in such a situation can be charged with 'vehicular homicide'.
People older than 65 may not need as much sleep, but the recommended daily allotment is still seven to eight hours. People who don't receive seven hours of daily sleep are at higher risk of being involved in a drowsy driving accident. Teenagers of driving age need about eight to 10 hours of daily sleep.
1. Distracted Driving. Undoubtedly, distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents. A distracted driver does not have their complete attention on the road, and they may be paying closer attention to a mobile device, passengers, or even a cheeseburger.
If you remain relaxed, those ligaments, discs, and nerves will take more of the force, resulting in more injury. Muscles tend to heal much faster and easier than ligaments, discs, and nerves, so: Brace your head against your car's headrest (make sure your headrest is properly adjusted for your height).
If you are driving and start experiencing any of the following symptoms, you are probably too tired to operate a vehicle: Frequent yawning or blinking. Trouble recalling the last stretch of road or several miles that you drove. Drifting in and out of your lane without realizing it.
Go for complex carbohydrates and protein. Whole grains and lean protein, like turkey and chicken, can help you stay alert during long hours on the road. Avoid convenience foods, such as fast-food, or anything high in sugar or processed carbs. Such foods are likely to make your energy dip shortly after eating.
After 24 hours awake, impairment is equivalent to a blood alcohol content of 0.1%. Even mild. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and short-term sleep deprivation can cause dangerous impairments to driving ability.
“Sometimes it's almost like you're drunk… and you can notice your body just basically being so sleep deprived, that you're woozy and you're incompetent and you are at risk of making a very serious mistake, and as nurses, this could be fatal.”
It isn't clear how long humans can truly survive without sleep. But it is clear that extreme symptoms can begin in as little as 36 hours. This includes a reduced ability to think, poor decision-making, and speech impairment. Pulling an all-nighter once every couple of months likely won't do any long-term damage.
Coffee and energy drinks are great for keeping your eyes open and mind alert. If you start to feel drowsy, drink a cup of coffee or an energy drink to help perk yourself up. One of the best ways to avoid excessive drowsiness while driving is staying awake, alert, and energized.
Sodas are loaded with caffeine and lots of sugar. The caffeine can make it hard to fall asleep, and the sugar may affect your ability to stay asleep. One study found that people who have a high daily intake of sugar have more arousals from sleep during the night.
If you don't get enough sleep it will affect your ability to function in several different ways any of which can have dangerous consequences when you're driving. Driving tired impairs judgement and reaction time so you may react slowly, brake late or miss a hazard altogether.
There are essentially two ways your car can tell if you're getting tired. The most common one employs existing lane departure sensors and monitors steering inputs to detect erratic driving, like when you're drifting out of your lane often in a short period of time.
Driving drowsy isn't a crime. But it can lead to other serious vehicular offenses including DUI or reckless endangerment. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Center for Disease Control (CDC) have released reports about hazards of “drowsy driving”.
It's important to drink enough water during the day, however, it can be disruptive if you drink directly before bed. Avoid drinking water or any other fluids at least two hours before sleeping to prevent waking up at night.
Consume Caffeine
Caffeine is a natural stimulant. Foods and drinks like coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, and chocolate have various amounts of caffeine in them. The reason caffeine can help you stay alert is that it blocks adenosine receptors in your brain. This, in turn, reduces the signal that makes you feel sleepy.
Studies have linked caffeinated foods and beverages, added sugar, refined carbs, spicy foods, high fat foods, and alcohol to poor sleep quality and shorter sleep duration.
Sleep deprivation leaves your brain exhausted, so it can't perform its duties as well. You may also find it more difficult to concentrate or learn new things. The signals your body sends may also be delayed, decreasing your coordination and increasing your risk for accidents.