Measures To Avoid Fatigue At The Wheel

The General Directorate of Traffic has indicated that almost 30% of road accidents are caused by driver fatigue. This means that taking long trips without resting is one of the danger factors on Spanish roads. Believe it or not, avoiding fatigue behind the wheel is a matter of life and death.

This statistic becomes more important during the holiday seasons. Tiredness accidents frequently occur on highways that connect more urban areas to towns or the coast.

In this sense, professionals who drive at dawn and to distant destinations must also exercise the necessary caution.

Fortunately, fighting road fatigue is relatively straightforward if we plan and take a few prudent steps. Breaks, hydration and managing other aspects will be of great help. Let’s review some measures to avoid fatigue behind the wheel.

Maintain good hydration

When traveling long distances, it is essential to maintain good body hydration. In this way the brain is oxygenated, which allows us to keep the nervous system active. Therefore, it is always recommended to bring a bottle of water.

One drink in particular that can help fight sleep is soda. Even though it is not the best option to hydrate us, this product has certain amounts of caffeine that are adequately stimulating.

In case of opting for this alternative, cola soft drinks are the most efficient to keep us alert. Eating a balanced breakfast that incorporates green vegetables before you go out can also be very helpful.

Good sunglasses will help

One of the factors that generates greater fatigue is the direct incidence of the sun on drivers. If we go down the road and expose ourselves to sunlight, our eyes will tire more quickly; it is evident that this is a factor that places greater demands on the ocular organs.

To counteract visual exhaustion, sunglasses with moderate darkness can be used. Some have UV filter, while others allow vision similar to HD resolution; the latter are ideal for driving without losing sight of anything.

The need to make rest stops

Many drivers hate making stops and, on the contrary, prefer to cover long distances in short times. Probably the best method to avoid driving fatigue is to take regular breaks.

In fact, some experts recommend that we make stops every 200 kilometers traveled, so that we can stretch our body and legs, and blur from the road.

Get a good night’s sleep before the trip

Getting a good night’s sleep before taking a long drive should be part of any road trip planning. If we plan to be on the road for more than four hours, the correct thing to do is to previously sleep about seven or eight.

Longer trips will require long hours of rest and relaxation for the driver during the day before, among other things to avoid fines for being absent. This measure acquires greater significance when the moment of departure occurs during the early morning hours.

Incorporation of technologies to avoid fatigue at the wheel

Today’s cars have digital functions that make driving management easier and safer. This is how we have at our disposal some elements such as lane maintenance assistants and automatic braking systems, which are capable of preventing carelessness and human errors.

Added to this, there are also fatigue and sleep detection systems. These consist of sensors arranged on the steering wheel, which distinguish patterns when we drive on alert or when we are sleepy; they can slightly correct the course and sound an alarm to wake us up.

The system will also indicate the need we have to park to take a break. As much as these mechanisms raise the price of cars, their acquisition could be a great investment in safety. Implementing them will be very useful, since they could save our lives.

All of the aforementioned leads us to the need for prior planning before the possibility of long and night tours. In this sense, the greatest enemy will be improvisation and excessive reliance on one’s own abilities.

One last very effective trick is to maintain a cooling climate inside the car through air conditioning. A little cold will keep our nervous system active and with a moderate stress that will keep us from sleeping.