What are the causes of fatigued driving?
2 Answers
Here are the causes of fatigued driving: 1. Living environment: Residence is too far from workplace; excessive household chores or marital discord; heavy mental burden; extensive social activities with prolonged recreational engagements. 2. Sleep quality: Late bedtime with insufficient sleep duration; poor sleep quality; noisy sleeping environment affecting rest. 3. In-vehicle environment: Poor air quality and inadequate ventilation; excessively high or low temperatures; severe noise and vibration; improper seat adjustment; tense relationships with fellow passengers. 4. External environment: Driving during afternoon, evening, early morning, or late-night hours; poor road conditions; driving in sandstorm, rain, fog, or snow; adverse traffic conditions or congestion. 5. Operating conditions: Prolonged and long-distance driving; excessively high or low speeds; rigid time constraints for reaching destinations. 6. Physical condition: Poor stamina and endurance; declining vision/hearing; physical weakness or chronic illness; taking medication contraindicated for driving; female physiological periods (menstruation, pregnancy). 7. Driving experience: Low technical proficiency and unfamiliarity with operations; limited driving time, lack of experience, and poor safety awareness. 8. Medication effects: It is advisable to avoid driving when taking medications that may induce drowsiness by relaxing the nervous system.
Having driven night shifts as a taxi driver for fifteen years, I know exactly why people get drowsy at the wheel. After driving continuously for over four hours, your eyes start to ache, and your reactions slow down. Especially between 2 AM and 5 AM when there are fewer cars on the road, it’s easier to lose focus. I once had an old buddy who got drowsy after lunch and could barely keep a steady grip on the steering wheel. The body’s internal clock demands rest at certain times—pushing through just doesn’t work. Driving in stuffy, high temperatures also leads to fatigue; one summer, I didn’t turn on the AC and nearly veered onto the roadside greenery. My advice: pull over at a rest area every two hours, splash cold water on your face, and walk around for five minutes—it could save your life in a critical moment.
