Has anyone ever told you to get a good night’s sleep because you’ve got a big day ahead? What about because you had to drive the next day?
Driving is so routine that few treat it with the caution it deserves. If adequate rest is crucial to perform well in an exam or when giving a speech, it is vital to drive well. Yet each day, many drivers get into their cars exhausted. Here’s why that’s a bad idea:
You’re more likely to make poor decisions
Making the right choices is crucial when driving. That is harder when your brain is not functioning optimally due to fatigue. With so many others on the road, avoiding crashes requires careful synchronization and the more drivers who are tired, the more likely someone will get a decision wrong.
Your responses get slower
You might still keep your car traveling at 50 mph, but if you are tired, your brain and body are not working fast enough to make quick judgments and react fast when needed. That could cause you to crash in situations you could have avoided if you were more alert.
You may struggle to stay focused on driving
It can be challenging enough to notice everything happening around you when fully alert. If your eyes are closing or you are drifting off mentally, it will be even harder, and a crash is more likely.
Ensuring you rest enough to drive safely is not just about ensuring you don’t cause a collision. A good night’s sleep can reduce the chance you need to seek compensation because another tired driver injures you in a crash.