What Situations Are Prone to Cause Fatigued Driving?
2 Answers
Causes of fatigued driving are as follows: 1. Sleep deprivation is the primary cause of driver fatigue. Poor sleep quality leads to insufficient sleep, resulting in both physical and mental fatigue. Factors such as failing to balance work and rest, prolonged driving, continuous driving under complex road conditions and high speeds, and excessive mental concentration are all significant contributors to driving fatigue. When severely sleep-deprived, drivers are required to focus intensely on operating the vehicle. 2. On the road, engine noise, vibrations from the vehicle body, low visibility outside the vehicle, heavy traffic congestion, mixed pedestrian and vehicle flow, and extremely poor road conditions can make drivers anxious and tense. Prolonged exposure to such driving environments demands considerable mental effort from drivers, making them prone to fatigue.
Fatigue driving is quite common. I've had a few close calls myself, like driving home after pulling an all-nighter at work, struggling to keep my eyes open on the road. Irregular lifestyles easily trigger this—for example, hitting the road after sleeping only four or five hours disrupts your internal clock and slows reaction times. Long-distance driving without breaks for three or four hours straight also stiffens muscles and impairs blood circulation, making drowsiness worse. Medication effects are significant too; strong side effects from cold medicine, for instance, can induce sleepiness. Dietary factors matter as well—blood sugar spikes after heavy meals put the body in a dormant state, increasing drowsiness while driving. Additionally, low moods cause mental fatigue and poor concentration. To avoid these issues, I recommend setting alarms to remind yourself to take breaks every two hours or chatting with a companion to stay alert.
