As your eyes become heavy and you feel your head nodding off, the road continues to go on. You’re constantly yawning, and even the yellow lines and streetlights seem like they’re blurring. All of a sudden, you’re running over the rumble strips and wondering how you got there.
That’s what drowsy driving can do, and it’s incredibly dangerous. You could have found yourself waking up to your car’s front end crashing into a ditch or with headlights from opposing traffic beaming into your windshield. Before you find yourself in this scenario, here the top five drowsy driving warning signs to look out for.
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Difficulty Focusing
The first sign of fatigue is struggling to maintain your focus. It’s the same thing that happens if you’re up too late studying or forcing yourself to watch one last episode before you fall asleep. Drivers need to remain focused at all times in order to navigate the roads safely, making this incredibly dangerous.
Your body will give you other signs at this stage, as well. As your eyelids become heavy, your brain will tell your eyelids to start blinking in an attempt to keep you awake and alert. However, this rarely works.
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Trouble Remembering the Last Few Miles
As you continue to lose focus, your mind will begin to wander. You might have daydreams or disconnected thoughts. In the process, your brain will be unable to recall the last few miles you’ve driven. You might also find yourself missing exits and traffic signs.
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Yawning and Head Nodding
As you fight to stay awake, your body will begin to yawn in an attempt to get more oxygen to your brain. The physical action also forces you to move. Unfortunately, this is the final warning sign before things get dangerous. During this stage, your head will start to feel heavy as you find yourself nodding.
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Drifting from Your Lane
At this point, you’re falling asleep and not realizing it. You begin to drift or swerve out of your lane, creating an incredibly dangerous situation. While you may jerk yourself awake, an accident is likely to happen either with another vehicle or object.
This is when you’re likely to be pulled over, as well. If alcohol is at all involved in this process, you’ll need a skilled lawyer for DUI-traffic related violations. Even if you have not been drinking, you can still be issued a citation.
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Restlessness and Irritability
This is a warning sign that people may or may not experience. When your focus wanes, you might find that you simply cannot get comfortable in your seat because your body knows it isn’t your bed and your brain knows there’s a task at hand.
You may also become irritable, getting angry at the radio station or other driver. Just like children, adults also get cranky when they’re tired at times. If you’re noticing that you’re upset with things you normally wouldn’t be, take this as a sign that it’s time to pull over and wake up.
