How Do You Stay Alert While Driving?
Driving drowsy is as dangerous as driving drunk. Numbers are hard to pin down, but experts at the U.S. Department of Transportation put conservative estimates at 40,000 injuries and 150 fatalities per year as a result of drivers’ sleepiness. Get a good night’s sleep, and plan around your body clock so you drive at the times of the day when you are most alert. Take a 10- to 15-minute break to exercise, stretch or walk briskly after every 2 hours you drive. Let someone else do a share of the driving. Divide the driving into blocks of no more than about 4 hours for each driver. Eat regularly to keep blood-sugar levels even, but be mindful of what you eat. A candy bar won’t help much once the initial sugar buzz wears off. To stay alert, the body requires good nutrition. Drink coffee or tea (or another form of caffeine) for a temporary fix. Keep in mind that caffeine does not take the place of adequate sleep. Don’t drink alcohol. Avoid medicines that make you drowsy, including antihistamine
