Long journeys to vacation and back home, coupled with stress, heat or heavy rain, lots of construction sites and traffic jams, and often unfamiliar, demanding routes. Unfortunately, the real danger of becoming overtired at the wheel and, in the worst case, even falling asleep, is greatly underestimated. The fact is: the longer the journey, the less attention is paid and the higher the risk of an accident.
Overconfidence at the wheel
“The main problem is that many drivers overestimate their own ‘stamina’ behind the wheel and, as a result, suppress the body’s warning signals of tiredness. This overconfidence can trigger fatal driving errors. You should therefore always take a longer, restful break after three to a maximum of four hours or carry out a driver change,” says ÖAMTC traffic psychologist Marion Seidenberger. “Falling asleep at the wheel is just the tip of the iceberg – fatigue-related performance loss during steering becomes noticeable long before you actually ‘nod off’.”
Exhaustion is further increased by poor or short sleep and driving at unusual times. This leads to less concentration at the wheel. According to Seidenberger, it is therefore essential to ensure regular breaks and sufficient sleep before departure, especially on longer car journeys.
Every year more traffic fatalities due to fatigue accidents
“Accidents caused by fatigue or microsleep usually end very badly. In particular, the so-called ‘slip accidents’, in which the vehicle leaves the road at high speed and usually crashes into an obstacle without braking or falls down a slope, are often catastrophic off,” says the traffic psychologist. While five people died on Austria’s roads due to fatigue accidents in 2020, it was nine in 2021 and eleven last year.
Don’t ignore your body’s warning signals
It is important to observe yourself closely and not to ignore “harbingers of fatigue”. If you simply suppress the first signs of tiredness or try to drive them away with loud music, you will not notice any improvement in the long term. The same applies to coffee or energy drinks: These merely mask tiredness and simulate good performance – but the pressure to sleep is not reduced.
Acute warning signs are frequent yawning, sudden chills, a strong need to move, constant changing of the sitting position, tension in the neck and shoulder area or the development of a fixed gaze behavior and frequent blinking. Declining willingness to communicate or a low mood can also be warning signals. When you’re having trouble staying in lane, performing rough maneuvers, or when you feel the road is narrowing, it’s important to take a break or hand the wheel to someone else.
Even a power nap of around 20 minutes combined with a cup of coffee afterwards can help, at least for a short time. The energy boost has a positive effect on performance and mood and improves reaction time. Nevertheless, this method is not a permanent solution – a “nap” cannot replace a proper regeneration, which only produces a sleep break of several hours.
Tips for safe holiday and long-distance journeys
- Route planning: Plan stages with fixed breaks, don’t calculate the time too tightly on long journeys, and for distances of around 800 kilometers or more, it’s best to make a stopover with an overnight stay.
- Start well rested: If you leave at an atypical time, make sure you get enough sleep the night before, take a 15-minute break at least every two hours for longer car journeys and do not drive more than eight hours a day, change drivers regularly (if possible).
- Take a proper break: Fresh air and exercise prevent fatigue and get your circulation going again. Responsibility of the passengers: They often notice earlier when drivers are getting tired – make sure to state this observation and request a break.
- Optimal catering: Drink enough water, tea or diluted fruit juices, since dehydration massively impairs the ability to concentrate. Also refrain from eating heavy (high-calorie) meals during breaks in driving, as drowsiness usually occurs after eating meals that are too large. A light and vitamin-rich diet is recommended.
Long holiday trips are often started against the internal clock: “Between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. and around 2 p.m. in the afternoon, people are at a biological low. Trips during these periods – especially on monotonous routes – are particularly prone to accidents. You should therefore carefully consider whether it is really necessary to be behind the wheel at these times,” concluded Marion Seidenberger.
