Fatigue can be a serious safety issue for drivers of all ages. Test your knowledge by taking this quiz:

  1. T or F: On longer expressway trips, you should take a safety stop at least every 2 hours or after 100 miles.
  2. T or F: Fatigue does not influence your stopping distance.
  3. T or F: Older people are at a higher risk of driver fatigue.
  4. T or F: Drivers are more susceptible to fatigue during certain times of the day.
  5. T or F: Coffee overcomes the effects of drowsiness while driving.
  6. T or F: I can tell when I’m going to go to sleep.
  7. T or F: Rolling down my window or singing along with the radio will keep me awake.
  8. T or F: Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night.
  9. T or F: Wandering, disconnected thoughts are a warning sign of driver fatigue.
  10. T or F: A microsleep lasts four or five seconds.

Answers:

  1. TRUE: On longer expressway trips, be aware of the onset of fatigue, drowsiness, or just plain boredom—often referred to as “highway hypnosis”. To combat this, try to take a “safety stop” at least every two hours or after 100 miles. If you are traveling with others, change drivers.
  2. FALSE: Total stopping distance is the sum of perception distance, reaction distance and braking distance. Fatigue can inhibit your perception and reaction time.
  3. FALSE: Clearly, driver fatigue is a concern for everybody. However, according to SleepDeprevation.com, young people aged 16 to 29 are at higher risk for driver fatigue. Also, males are more likely than females to suffer from the condition.
  4. TRUE: There are certain times of the day and night when our energy levels naturally dip. Between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., drivers are more at risk for experiencing driver fatigue.
  5. FALSE: Stimulants are no substitute for sleep. Drinks containing caffeine, such as coffee or cola, can help you feel more alert, but the effects last only for a short time.
  6. FALSE: Sleep is not voluntary. If you’re drowsy, you can fall asleep and never even know it. You cannot tell how long you’ve been asleep.
  7. FALSE: An open window or the radio has no lasting effect on a person’s ability to stay awake.
  8. TRUE: The average person needs seven or eight hours of sleep a night and young people need more sleep than adults.
  9. TRUE: If you are driving and your thoughts begin to wander, it is time to pull over and take a break.
  10. TRUE: During a “microsleep” of four or five seconds, a car can travel 100 yards or more, plenty of time to cause a serious crash.

Alert

Drive Safely!