OzFclass

One of my strategies when tired on long trips is to stay close to other vehicles and keep pace with them, even to the extent of getting competitive. It keeps you from getting bored, and if the pace is quick, a little bit of adrenalin helps you stay alert.

With both experiences that I've mentioned, thinking back on them, I believe that the first symptom was impatience, anxiousness and frustration. Anxious to get home, frustrated and impatient with any level of traffic. In the future, when I hit that stage, I'll be pulling off the road for a powernap in the back seat. I still don't want to get familiar with sleeping in the drivers seat.

After both experiences I was pretty disappointed in myself. Having been speaking to people about it in person and the feedback in this thread, I feel better in myself knowing its extremely common, most people have a story to tell and once the onset of fatigue while driving is identified there is only one way to manage it.

Thanks to everyone for the input.

DenisA wrote:Thanks Rod. The 15 y.o 4WD keeping you engaged V's modern cars is a good point and interesting topic.

I wonder what the legalities or liabilities are if someone was travelling with firearms, had an accident and was carted off in an ambulance unconscious while the firearms were unkowingly left with the vehicle??

If they were in Wa , the would be charged whilest still on the operating table !! A firearms company was chraged after the truck caught fire and lost their firearms while still in transit!!
WTF!! ( f stands for fire truck not f..ck!)

DenisA wrote:I wonder what the legalities or liabilities are if someone was travelling with firearms, had an accident and was carted off in an ambulance unconscious while the firearms were unkowingly left with the vehicle??

There are certain states where your rifle, ammo & bolt must be separately secured to the vehicle. I carry that way anywhere I travel, so I'm good in the case of an accident.

Falling asleep at the wheel is, in my opinion, something to be avoided.

Brandon 25th Dec 2017.

I drive 350kms to work. More to the point, I drive 350kms home after a 12 hr shift. If I feel even remotely tired, I simply don't, and I really don't think there is any other option. Coffee, red bull, pro plus et al are all just stimulents. Eventually they lose their effect and if you're still driving when that happens you stand a very good chance of not knowing what you hit.

So are you saying, at least at 3.5 hour drive to work, then a 12 hour shift, followed by a 3.5 hour drive home ? Or is that the beginning and the end of the week? Either way , not good

I will add one more thing. I used to drive a lot for work, would often drive 3 hours each way for a 1 hour meeting/inspection. A few years ago a was suffering much like you mentioned and very conscious of it, feel it coming and no amount of food and or coffee energy drinks would hold it off for long. Scared me to the point where I would avoid long solo trips as much as possible, visit to the doctor yielded no answers. In the end it turned out to be my eyesight, I was straining and it was causing me significant fatigue. Off to the optometrist few sets of glasses and has made a huge improvement. Don't underestimate the small things in managing concentration, also i try to avoid coffee and caffeine drinks as well as high sugar foods as I find I get on the rollercoaster with quick energy boost then a crash. Good low GI foods help manage my blood sugar so i don't need to boosts.

Just my experience

DannyS wrote:So are you saying, at least at 3.5 hour drive to work, then a 12 hour shift, followed by a 3.5 hour drive home ? Or is that the beginning and the end of the week? Either way , not good

No Danny, Stuff working 18hrs a day.
I drive in the evening before I start a swing, do 4 or 5 days then drive home after the last shift, for 4 or 5 days off.

tim,
we don't care if you are a swinger.
sometimes you might be better to keep that sort of stuff close to home.
keep safe,
bruce.