Driving tired

Not only the cab :)))

Having done fatigue management it "opens your eyes" ha! ha! ha!

Yep many things cause fatigue and not just lack of sleep.

We all react differently to fatigue both self induced and medical conditions.

Most of us just push through and run on empty.

Many years ago I came out of Sydney with a load for Greenvale NQ, urgent load as usual, got to the railway crossing that used to cross the road south of Rocky and stopped at the stop sign, yep! stopped all right about 400 metres past the sign and looked back to see a freight train going through the crossing. Not asleep just running on empty.

Andrew,
I received the photos in an email with only the explanation of how it happened,my guess would be the Americas.

With the weather the way it is it could be WA or QLD

Serg,
you are probably gonna get caned now by many.

We all have different ways of combating fatigue.

I try to avoid what I call my witching hours which are 2 to 4 in the am and pm. Different people have different body clocks so this would vary. I don't go to sleep as such but tend not to react quickly.

Now days my last day is 20 hours starting around 3.30 am and ending about midnight after a 400k drive.

My own rules are, I don't have a drink the night before, I don't drink coffee after midday, I get at least a half hour nap on the plane and at the half way point I pull up and grab a coffee. I don't stuff about and keep a constant dollar to a dollar ten in the speed department and I don't go walking around the vehicle every 2 hours as I have always believed it is a waste of time. If you are tired the only cure is a nap.

Rockape,

I been exercising long legs many times – from Melbourne to Gold Coast in one hit as many as 5 times. Cannot tell about everybody, but I am not tired by driving as a such, not even from luck of sleep, but my eyes get really tired by constantly concentrating on the road. Also I have tried “a nap” as you suggest and as advertised everywhere. I personally found it incredibly dangerous, because my body switches from “concentrated” mode into “relaxed” one and my ability to drive safely compromised. I am strongly believe that 10-15 min “nap” cannot do any good – if you cannot drive, then go to proper sleep. But again if say split Melbourne – Gold Coast route into 2 parts, then not only I will loose a day from my holiday, but also it would be not that exciting to start driving next day. Also I been in NT in times when there was no speed limits. We trying to drive “by feeling” and discover that 150-160 km/hris very comfortable to drive. Above 170 it require much more concentration and became not that pleasant. I do not understand why it is impossible to allow 150 km/hr on say Hume w/h – two lines each direction separated by nature strip. That would mean 30% less time on the road, thus 30% less chances to get into accident.

Cheers
Serg

Yep Serge, we are all different and what works for one doesn't mean it works for another.

NT have introduced speed limits now Serge and I would be pretty reserved on the introduction of that sort of speed on good old highway 3.

Ahh the old Vic Roads 'Power nap' campaign.

I guess it has to work doesnt it?

If you do decide to stop for a power nap..then fall asleep totally and wake up 5 hrs later then are you not a safer operator on the road?

The capaign didnt have anything to lose really.

I find that if I nap but wake in that 15-20 min window and not hit REM sleep (the bit you get doughy and drowsy in) then I find I can operate quite refreshed for a few more hours (like when you are jst short of a destination for real sleep). If I get woken in an hour or so, then I do feel groggy and it is hard to concentrate and shake that fogginess.

Matt.

Great show Roachie...not for the sensationalism..I just like watching what the vehicles are required to endure and I use it for examples at work.

The sleep/driving hours is a good one... the only point I accept is that at 25mph you have no chice but to do long hours...that would be excrutiating holding that speed for those distances.

Not as excrutiating as the water temp though...when they speed and the bow wave bleep ters the ice...thats a very fast cold swim to a wet grave.....and yet some still speed?? Amazing human nature hey?

All the best

Mattt.