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Tips to Avoid Accidents (on the road and elsewhere)

From SleepMatters Fall, 2001, Volume 3, Issue 3

1. Get sufficient sleep before starting your activity. Don't start off with a "half-tank." For example, don't stay up late packing the night before and then get up early to beat the traffic and try to get by with stimulation from caffeine.
2. Take frequent breaks while driving, and use caffeine to extend your alertness if you can tolerate it; but remember that caffeine is not a substitute for sleep.
3. Rotate drivers regularly. If you have four people in the car, make sure you have a designated passenger as well as a designated driver. The social stimulation provided by the passenger is a powerful wake drive. And when you change drivers, be sure to do it off the road to avoid becoming a hazard for another vehicle.
4. Watch for warning signs! If you start to yawn or have trouble paying attention, miss exits, drift out of the lane and run over the rumble strips, pull off the road and find a safe place to take a nap. Ask yourself: what is so important that I have to risk safety to get to my destination?

Consider the fact that when you are driving on a highway at 55 mph and you have a lapse in your attention of only two seconds, and your car drifts at a four degree angle, you can be off the road completely during those two seconds. It takes almost no time at all when driving at highway speeds to have a catastrophic event.

The bottom line is, there is no substitute for getting adequate sleep. Drive with a passenger, take frequent stops and use caffeine as appropriate.

David F. Dinges, PhD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Sleep Disorders Center at Regional Medical Center

Madisonville, Kentucky
(270) 825-5730 or 1-800-635-6506

Medical Director James Davis, MD
Clinical Coordinator Penny Hardison, RRT, RPSGT