Falling asleep at the wheel.

Bobby B. said:
What?

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Im the MAN
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Yeah I have had this feeling plenty of times. Endless hours at the poker tables then driving back an hour and half to get to class. Most of the time if I had won money I feel energized but when I have bad nights the ride home is horrible.

And when going on trips driving 5-6 hours is really tiring when everyone in the car is passed out. I find it very helpful if someone is in the front talking with me, it will keep me alert and from falling asleep.

I'm going be more careful when driving long distance because it's better safe then sorry.
 
I've pulled over before at 4am and woken at 6am. My truck isn't very comfortable for long rides so I tire even easier. If I just want to get home, I'll open windows, blast music, and keep my speed at the limit as to not put any others at danger.
 
Luckily for me I live within 15 miles of my work, and any store imaginable. There have been times though where I have been just completely exhausted and came very close to falling asleep. I think what keeps me awake, is driving a manual. Gotta stay focused (for the most part). Also, I feel like if I pulled over to sleep for even 20 minutes, a cop would question me and assume I had been drinking or something.
 
BobbyG said:
I think everyone that drives has experienced this at one time or another. Whether it be tired or hypnotized it boils down to the same thing; a very dangerous situation.

If you feel this way pull over and rest, the worse thing that can happen is you'll arrive a few minutes late..............but alive..
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very true.
 
I am guilty too. I usually drive around 5000 miles a month for work. It is strange how you don't even know you just fell asleep. Or your eyes just won't stay open no matter what you do. For me there are certain triggers that will put me to sleep when driving tired. Diet Mountain dew, coffee and etc became my friends on long hauls by myself. Like stated above already, eating while driving wakes you up. Just no burrito's, still haven't mastered eating one of those while driving.
 
Chris@Optimum said:
When I was 18 I totaled my fully loaded 4runner with only 11k miles on it. I wasn't wearing my seat belt and it flipped 7 times then rested on my arm. Could have just as easily been my head. I was pinned under it for 8 hours before someone found me.
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That is really a horrible story...you fell asleep? I can't even imagine being trapped like that for all that time...congrats on the full recovery! Was it a life-altering experience?
 
I have been drousy and falling asleep many many times while driving. Luckily I have not wrecked myself or anyone in my vicinity. I was driving with my brother down to our parents one year for christmas and was falling asleep. He was already asleep when I started dozing. We were about 2 hours away (9 hour trip) when I jolted awake just before collidong with the rear wheels of a semi trailer. The adrenaline after that was sufficient to keep me awake for the rest of the trip.

My brother did fall asleep while driving a work van. He was delivering animals to pet shops at the time. He was on his way back to the warehouse with one guinea pig left in the van. He fell asleep and ran off the road and into the end of a quard rail. He hit the rail on the driver side and the van rolled no one knows how many times. He escaped with a few bumps and bruises but nothing serious. The guinea pig was fine also. After seeing photos of the wreck it became clear that this was one of the few times that NOT wearing his seat belt saved his life. The impact threw him from the drivers seat...which was completely crushed from hitting the guard rail.
 
it is better to have some rest than to damage the car or worse to have the fatal end. I had such situation 4 times already, but God saved me alive.
 
I was coming back from the gym one time on the weekends during the summer. It was about noon but I really hadn't slept much and the week was exhausting being a counselor to 2nd graders from (7:30-6). It is tiring.....Anyway, I was in the right lane about 3 miles from home and I could feek my eyes going. It was a good thing I was in the right lane because the next thing I know I am almost in the grass on the side of the highway. Something somehwere prevented me from crashing.

I never drive now if I'm tired. It's not worth it.
 
When we go on interstates, we try to stop at at rest area at least every two hours, get out and stretch and walk around to rejuvenate. If on rural roads, stop at a place to get a cup of coffee or ice tea. That makes it easier to stop the next time because you have to drain it. Like everyone says, it isn't worth driving when you're too tired. Better late than in a hospital or morgue.
 
your friend should be checked for sleep apnea. kills thousands and nobody seems to recognize it. a simple check on the finger while sleeping gives an indication of possible problems. further sleep overs are expensive but will nail the diagnosis.
it saved my life. they say about 17 million un diagnosed cases in us alone.
 
Similar to my story, but much different results. In march of 1995, I fell asleep behind the wheel and had a single car wreck. Car caught fire with me being pinned under it, and that's how I went from a biped to a MonoPed. I don't remember anything about the wreck or the first 30 days or so in the ICU, which I am thankful for. Don't drive tired kids, it ain't worth it...


Chris@Optimum said:
When I was 18 I totaled my fully loaded 4runner with only 11k miles on it. I wasn't wearing my seat belt and it flipped 7 times then rested on my arm. Could have just as easily been my head. I was pinned under it for 8 hours before someone found me. My arm was paralyzed from the elbow down and the doctor's gave me no hope. Fortunately, 18 months later I began to twitch my fingers as the nerves repaired themselves and went on to fully recover. I did get a scar from surgery (54 staples and 7 stiches) to remind me of my error...it goes from the center of my right hand to my shoulder:
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When I'm by myself I'm usually good because I can crank the radio up, put the windows down, etc. This last time I went to Tennessee I started getting tired but I had both the kids in the car and it was around 3am; had to stop and get some coffee :)
 
Setec Astronomy said:
That is really a horrible story...you fell asleep? I can't even imagine being trapped like that for all that time...congrats on the full recovery! Was it a life-altering experience?
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I really did feel like no one would find me. I counted 35 cars pass that night and none even slowed down. The road was wet, so there were no skid marks and I went off an embankment. I suppose if did make me reevaluate things. After my recovery, I went on to compete in a few bodybuilding shows and placed 3rd in the 2002 Tennessee State Championships. I have a new keen ability to NOT fall asleep at the wheel, but I still am not consistent about my seatbelt...even though I would have walked away without a scratch is I had been held in place. The only part of the 4runner that was recognizable was the driver's area. The rest looked like a crushed tin can.
 
Chris@Optimum said:
I really did feel like no one would find me. I counted 35 cars pass that night and none even slowed down. The road was wet, so there were no skid marks and I went off an embankment. I suppose if did make me reevaluate things.
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Seriously, that sounds like a recipe for PTSD, trapped and waiting to die. Glad you seem to have come through it ok--you too, MonoPed and any others in this thread I may have forgotten.
 
Been there, done that......snoozed off and rolled a 1988 S10 Blazer four times and smacked a tree. Truth be told I was skunked out of my mind so I deserved what I got. When I limped to the impound lot later (after the emergency room and jail) to see the truck it was three feet tall. God only knows why I'm still alive. How do I know four rolls? The guy behind me told the cops and they told me.
 
Wow, all of these stories really put into sharp relief the need to be more aware of your body while driving. When I get sleepy, the best thing for me is shelled sunflower seeds. The brain stays active while trying to pry the little buggers out and then having to spit out the shell in a cup. The work vs. reward quotient is not very high, but I am always awake. I keep a little Dixie cup and bag in the glove box just in case.
 
If you consider the lives in the cars around you, you'll pull over and rest. Dont take the chance !
 
Shawn T. said:
I was coming back from the gym one time on the weekends during the summer. It was about noon but I really hadn't slept much and the week was exhausting being a counselor to 2nd graders from (7:30-6). It is tiring.....Anyway, I was in the right lane about 3 miles from home and I could feek my eyes going. It was a good thing I was in the right lane because the next thing I know I am almost in the grass on the side of the highway. Something somehwere prevented me from crashing.

I never drive now if I'm tired. It's not worth it.
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yes, you are right. I support your mind totally. Our life is more important.
 
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