Falling asleep at the wheel.

Rhudeboye

Rhudeboye

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A good friend of mine just totaled his car (he was not hurt). Fell asleep behind the wheel while driving home from work after 8:00PM. Guard rail saved him from going completely off the road but did an unbelievable amount of damage to his car.

I know that feeling all too well. You pull a long day at work and all you can think about is getting through your front door and much like him, I’m not prone to pull over and rest. Even when my eyes start feeling heavy, I typically just crack a window and at times :dunno:speed up. I find that my mind becomes more involved/alert when I'm passing other cars. Now I'm thinking of changing my habits.

I'm curious - Do you guys pull over and nap when you’re tired? I don't think I know anyone who actually does this.
 
I do pull over when I am tired because I am constantly reminded to do so by my always caring wife. This is especially true when traveling along the interstates. Sometimes I will pull over and buy something to eat and continue along my journey. Eating while driving keeps me alert (peanuts, snack mixes etc..).
 
I'm guilty too of trying to pass cars too when getting too tired, been at a constant speed for too long, while on curse control really gets me, but at the same time I think it is important to know your limits.

In my case, I do not sleep, so long drives for me are not big deal, last time I drove from Orlando to CT, I had not sleep at all for 3 days, jump in my truck thinking as soon as I get sleepy I'l just get into the first hotel I see... Well, next thing I knew I was crossing the George Washington Bridge... 22 hour drive, by my self, no fun!!! But I always keep plenty of red bulls, smokes, and get coffee every time I stop for gas.
 
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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wow man thats nuts! glad you are okay. I will not be afraid to pull over rest stop grab a 20 min power nap and haul on. i am very bored driving on highway I ususally get a good audio book to make it interesting
 
I fell asleep at the wheel driving a crew cab dually carrying a goose neck chapperall trailer. Enclosed were a 32 Ford Roadster and a 29 Ford Model A pickup (frame off restos)

We were coming home from the Street Rod Nationals in St Paul MN. I had already had a 12hr work day, but the owner insisted we start our trek home that Sunday evening. I was somehere between St Paul MN and De Moines IA when the owner gave me a shove and told me to wake up. I literally almost crapped my pants when I realized what had just transpired. It didn't help matters that the owner was laid out in the back seat snoozing like a baby

I have no idea how long I was asleep, but am thoroughly convinced someone else had their hand on my steering wheel that day
 
Flash your story reminds me of Carrie Underwood. I completely understand
 
Carrie Underwood - country singer girl was on American Idol like when it first started - sings a song called Jesus Take the Wheel
 
Well not as severe as some of the stories already posted ,but, Matt flew up to New York to join me for my drive down here. We had been driving for at least 15 hours straight (we stopped only for gas and bathroom breaks). I think we were somewhere near Jacksonville and he was driving. I woke from my nap to see him driving like an old woman ( face near steering wheel, both hands on the wheel) and he was blinking a lot. His eyelids were slowing giving up on him so I told him to pull over and I took over.

I generally will roll down windows, blast some music, slap myself in the face a few times and I'm good.
 
I have had a few like flash, where I was pulling my 24ft enclosed with all of our bikes, gear and tools, behind my crew cab dually. I would be driving home, after racing all weekend, with everyone else passed out in the truck sometimes honestly not knowing how I got home. I was the one driving....I think someone had his hands on the wheel driving for me..Kinda scary.
 
i caught myself fading to black a couple of times when i use to commute from Baltimore to DC. it was an hour of the B/W parkway. This road is very straight, hilly but straight. The steady rhythm of dotted lines has a way of hypnotizing you. Every now and then i would see a car over in the woods. no skid marks, no other vehicles. That always wakes me right up.
 
I've also felt tired behind the wheel. I will say things to myself, I am only or "its just 40 more mins" or "I am just 3 miles from home." I'm a new driver and I get tired of driving on a highway after a few hours. Like others I roll the windows down and turn up the radio. I try to keep my eyes moving. In drivers ed they said move your eyes every 5seconds or something like that. Check your mirrors and that.

Even when driving for fun threw the mountains its exhausting. Mental a few hours of late braking, sharp turns, ect. Its so tiring, and I'll hyped up I can't sleep. Its hard for me to sleep in a car.


FYI if you had anything to drink and you want to pull over to sleep make sure you take the keys out of the ignition and put them in the glove box. Then climb into the passenger seat to sleep. If a cop stops and sees you then they can't say you are driving with intent under the influence. Its really important to take the keys out of the ignition and into the glove box. Its 7 grand for your first DUI without a lawyer.
 
weavers said:
FYI if you had anything to drink and you want to pull over to sleep make sure you take the keys out of the ignition and put them in the glove box. Then climb into the passenger seat to sleep. If a cop stops and sees you then they can't say you are driving with intent under the influence. Its really important to take the keys out of the ignition and into the glove box. Its 7 grand for your first DUI without a lawyer.
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Good tip. dare I ask how you know so much about this?
 
It's pretty scary dossing off at the wheel. I havn't drank a soda in over 13 years so when get really tired I will force myself to down a couple of Monster energy drinks and I'm flying wide awake. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
 
weavers said:
FYI if you had anything to drink and you want to pull over to sleep make sure you take the keys out of the ignition and put them in the glove box. Then climb into the passenger seat to sleep. If a cop stops and sees you then they can't say you are driving with intent under the influence. Its really important to take the keys out of the ignition and into the glove box. Its 7 grand for your first DUI without a lawyer.
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I would say get into the BACK seat. They are going really crazy with this, and I understand in some locales they will still charge you even if you have done what you suggest, even if you blow over the limit and there is no way to prove that you were over or under at the time you stopped.

Not to go too far off topic, but I read a story about some sort of concert at a fairgrounds or something where they had been serving booze, and there were people who were loaded and wanted to sleep it off in their cars, but the cops rousted them saying there was no overnight parking and the lot had to be cleared...of course, down the road they were pulling the people over for drunk driving.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I would say get into the BACK seat. They are going really crazy with this, and I understand in some locales they will still charge you even if you have done what you suggest, even if you blow over the limit and there is no way to prove that you were over or under at the time you stopped.

Not to go too far off topic, but I read a story about some sort of concert at a fairgrounds or something where they had been serving booze, and there were people who were loaded and wanted to sleep it off in their cars, but the cops rousted them saying there was no overnight parking and the lot had to be cleared...of course, down the road they were pulling the people over for drunk driving.
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As long as you are in possession of car keys you can be charged with DUI even if you are not in your vehicle. I'm not sure about other states but it happens in Florida
 
Bobby B. said:
As long as you are in possession of car keys you can be charged with DUI even if you are not in your vehicle. I'm not sure about other states but it happens in Florida
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I understand the logic of this...a guy is drunk and crashes his car a mile from his house, and pockets the keys and starts to walk home...so he gets stopped, and arrested for drunk driving. His lawyer's made-up defense is that he crashed the car 2 hours ago when he was sober, was so bummed he walked home and drank a six pack, then walked back to view the wreck when the cops stopped him. The law allows him to be successfully prosecuted.

It's just that if you have been out drinking, and you decide "I'm too drunk to drive", so you pull off the road, climb in the back seat, and try to sleep it off...it seems a little unfair to be popped for drunk driving, when you were trying to do the right thing, and may not even have been legally "drunk" at the time you stopped driving.
 
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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