Preventing drowsy driving among shift workers

Drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 crashes a year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths. As tragic as these numbers are, they only tell a portion of the story. It is widely recognized that drowsy driving is underreported as a cause of crashes. And this doesn't include incidents caused by driver inattention.

In 1996, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) embarked on an effort to reduce the effects that fatigue and driver inattention have on highway safety. While everyone is susceptible to drowsy-driving crashes, shift workers run a particularly high risk. Their natural sleep patterns are disrupted by working nights or long and irregular hours.

Fatigue while driving is a common factor in accidents. CareDrive has 6 tips for shift drivers fighting fatigue while driving.

Take a Break
If you have a long drive ahead of you, be sure that you take a break. For every 2 or 3 hours that you have to drive, stop for about 20 minutes for a break. This will allow you to stretch your legs and move around for a bit. It will wake you up, and allow you to keep going for another couple of hours if you need to.

Make Frequent Stops
If possible, stop frequently. Every half hour or so, stop for a few minutes. Get out of your car and stretch. Get some fresh air. This will help to keep you awake.

Avoid Heavy Meals
Before you take off, avoid heavy meals. We all know that eating a big meal normally makes us feel sleepy afterward. You don’t want to eat a large meal like this and then drive. If you have to eat, make sure it is something light. It is better to stop and eat something small every so often than to eat a large meal once.

Stop at a Rest Stop
If you are too tired to drive and cannot make it the rest of the way, stop at a rest stop. There you can take a short nap so you will be prepared to go when you wake up. This is a much better alternative than trying to make it home when you are much too tired to do so. It is better to take a quick nap first, than allow yourself to fall asleep at the wheel.

Install driver fatigue monitor MR688
If you don't have time to take a brake while driving, many drivers need to send the goods in time, to prevent crashes, driver fatigue monitor MR688 is a genius device to protect drivers’ lives and prevent crushes, make sure no goods lost. Car driver anti sleep alarm MR688 detect driver’s pupil to determine whether the driver is fatigue, many big companies are using MR688 for fleet management.

Drink Coffee

The final tip of the 6 tips for fighting fatigue while driving is simply to drink coffee. One or two cups of coffee a day is actually good for you, so it will not hurt to do this. The caffeine in coffee will help keep you awake so you do not fall asleep. It is a much better alternative to soda pop or energy drinks that are bad for your health.

CareDrive wish every driver go home safely!