WHAT DOES NOT WORK COFFEE CAUTION NEW ZEALAND
for someone who is sleep deprived.
• Coffee has little or no impact on regular coffee Drowsy Driver Awareness Day
• Opening the window.
• Stopping and going for a walk.
drinkers.
• Coffee takes at least 15-30 minutes to enter the
13th December
• Taking a break (without a Powernap). bloodstream.
• Listening to the radio. • At least two strong cups of coffee (150mg of ‘ Drowsy Driving – the easiest way to die ’
• Talking to passengers. Caffeine) are needed to be of any value.
• Turning up the air-conditioning. • Strengths and grades vary widely.
• Adjusting the heater. • The effect of coffee wears off after a short time.
• Stretching, hand, arm or leg exercises. Most injury crashes on State Highway 1
• Snacks or chewing gum. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL CAUTION (including deaths) are caused by fatigue and/ or
• Sprinkling the face with water. not paying attention.
• Smoking. • A plane flight can cause Jet Lag (Time Zone
Change Disorder) which may result in sleep In a 3 second micro-sleep your vehicle travels
deprivation. 83 metres, at 100km/hr. Almost the length of a
TIME OF DAY – most common times for • If you are tired avoid driving until you have rugby field !
drowsy driving crashes. slept for an extended period. Your eyes do not have to be shut for your mind
to be asleep.
• 12 midnight to 6am AKILLA ® Sleep Safety Educational Website
Early morning sleep hours. Drowsy driving crashes are the most insidious,
• 1-4pm www.akilla.co.nz violent, worst type of crash. They represent the
Circadian (Biological) Dip. highest death rate of all the categories due to the
Everyone’s clock is programmed to make them • Educational information. speeds involved as there is no braking, no
feel sleepy during this time. • Real life stories deceleration, no avoidance of the crash.
• 7am • Videos of drowsy driving crashes. Drowsy driving crashes typically happen within
Driver not fully awake before driving. ten minutes of home (“get home-itis” ) in urban
(eg; driving to work) New Zealand Sleep Safety Limited areas and are very common for young drivers
under 30 years of age.
Ph: (04) 473-2235
BASIC PRINCIPLE Email: akilla@paradise.net.nz Training, occupation, education, will power,
‘Avoid driving when you are normally sleeping ! ’ P.O. Box 10 386 driver skill, motivation, and intelligence have NO
The Terrace, INFLUENCE on reducing the need for sleep.
This includes your mid-afternoon nap time! Wellington, Sleep is an involuntary action - a neurobiological
(drowsy driving crashes are very common for older people at this New Zealand. need, you need sleep just like you need food and
time) water.
Staying awake for 24 hours produces performance
impairment equivalent to 0.10 % Blood Alcohol
Content. Source: National Highway Safety Admin. (U.S.)
This is above the N.Z. Blood Alcohol Content
limit for adults of 0.08 %.
WARNING SIGNS for Drowsy Driving RISK FACTORS for Drowsy Driving WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Any one or any combination.
Eyes • Avoid driving when you are tired
• You have trouble keeping your eyes open. (i) Physical (or mental) exertion • Get adequate sleep before driving
• Your eyes close(brief 2/3 secs sleep episodes). (eg; driving, skiing, golf...) • Avoid alcoholic beverages.
• You have trouble focusing, blurred vision. (ii) Sleep deprivation • Avoid fatty or sugary foods.
• You rub your eyes repeatedly. -loss of one nights sleep. • If possible, drive with a companion and share
-cumulative sleep loss / poor quality sleep. the driving when necessary.
Memory & Thoughts (iii) Time of day • Beware of medications and drugs that can
• You can’t remember the last few miles. Early morning, mid afternoon. impair your driving ability.
• You have wandering or disconnected thoughts. • Work - long hours, shift work. • Have regular breaks for long distance driving.
• Impaired judgement. • Family – new born babies, childcare. • Keep temperatures inside the car cool.
• Decreased motivation. • Education – schooling, studying late.
• Increased moodiness/aggressive behaviour. • Socialising – ‘pulling all nighters’.
WHAT WORKS
Mouth Food & Drugs
• You can’t stop yawning. • Fatty, sugary or carbohydrate foods. • As soon as you experience any drowsy driving
• Alcohol. warning signs, stop immediately!
• Prescription drugs / medication. • Pull over in a safe place (as far off the road as
Body • Recreational drugs. possible) Park in a well lit area and lock the
• Your body feels generally tired. doors. Wind windows slightly down for air.
Weather • Phone someone and let them know where you
• High (or low) temperatures. are.
Ears • Humidity. • Move to the passengers seat and take a 15
• You experience droning or humming in the • Sun-glare. minute Powernap. Do not sleep more than 20
ears. minutes or you will enter a deep sleep and feel
Vehicle groggy.
Head • Heater operating. • Wait at least 10 minutes to be sure that you are
• You have trouble keeping your head up. • High (or very low) temperatures inside the completely awake.
vehicle. • If you still feel drowsy don’t drive, find a place
• Recycled air /stale air. to sleep for an extended period or for the night.
Driving • Smells (eg; new car vinyls/ glues).
• You drift between lanes, tailgate or miss traffic • Relaxing music.
signs or exits. • Seating too comfortable.
• You keep jerking the car back into the lane. • Vibrating vehicle.
• You have drifted across the road and narrowly • Carbon Monoxide (exhaust gas).
missed crashing. A 15 minute Powernap could save your life!
• You feel restless or irritable. Driver
• You have impaired reaction time, decreased • Sleeping front seat passengers.
performance and vigilance. • Sleep medical conditions (untreated).
• Boredom (monotonous terrain or sounds).
• Emotional stress (eg; funerals, weddings..).
• Illness (eg; toothache....).