The Dangers of driving while tired

Driver education is important because it gives guidance of what could happen while you are on the road or even in the car with a driver. It taught me about the potential hazards will driving while impaired. I mean impaired by drugs/alcohol, tiredness or being distracted. All these things lead to a distracted/impaired driver, which can be extremely dangerous for everyone in the car and on the road. Steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths on the road start with being aware of your limits. A person should know how long they can drive without taking a break to avoid driving while tired. A driver should be mindful when they have a drink of alcohol and the effects the alcohol can have and how long before it is metabolized by the body. For a person to be the safest driver they can be is to know themselves and what they can handle and not push those limits.

I remember I went out to eat with my family and we were celebrating a birthday, I was driving in the car with a family member that had been dieting to lose weight. I recall we were both talking about how excited we were to eat a big meal and they told me they were going to be splurging from their diet tonight. After the big fun family meal, we started driving home and about two thirds of the way home the family member fell asleep behind the wheel due to what I believe is a crash of blood sugar or their body being overworked over a period of dieting. I remember being extremely frightened and waking them up by shaking them. After they were up, I told them to pull over and that I would drive the rest of the way home because I was afraid, they would fall asleep again.

When most people think of impaired driving, they think of someone who has had too much to drink swerving on the road or someone reading an email or checking Facebook behind the wheel rending the person in front of them. I, for one, thought it would be almost impossible to fall asleep behind the wheel because there is so much going on all the time while you are driving. But after this experience, it opened my eyes to just how easy it is for people to fall asleep behind the wheel. After looking into why a person might fall asleep behind the wheel, I read about road hypnosis where a person becomes entranced by the road and does not react while driving. Or like in my case the person is just so exhausted that they fall asleep.

Someway that a person can be a safer driver is if you are feeling tired, have been drinking or doing drugs, is if another person in the car that can drive have them drive home, if you are alone have another person get you or sleep in your car if it is legal in the state that you are in. When a person is not feeling right about driving it is all right to ask for others’ help and not push yourself. Any person that is going to drive should know that if they are drinking or doing drugs to find a ride home or not drive at home. A person that is on their phone while driving should know that it is illegal to be and whatever is on their phone will be there when they get to their destination. And if a person is doing an extreme diet or trying a new prescribed medication, they should try to avoid driving alone until they know the effects of the medication or how their body reacts once they eat a big meal while being on a diet.

While everyone thinks that nothing bad can happen to them, you still must take precautions while driving on the road even if you are not doing anything wrong while driving. A person never knows what someone in another car is doing or is on while driving. So, to be the best driver you can be a person has to always be aware of their surroundings and know their limits when they have driven to long or have been drinking or doing drugs. There is no shame in saying that you are unwell to drive because you are protecting yourself and the other drivers on the road as well. As a result of taking these driving safeguards you are making yourself a safer and better driver which can only benefit you overall.