Fatigue driving harms others and oneself. According to a survey in the United States, all kinds of traffic accidents caused by insomnia or fatigue account for 41% - 54% of the total traffic accidents, and the death risk of traffic accidents increases by five times. Here's how to avoid drowsiness while driving.
Why do you feel sleepy driving
The driver's fatigue is mainly the fatigue of nerves and sensory organs, mainly due to the fatigue of limbs caused by holding fixed posture for a long time and poor blood circulation. When the driver sits in a fixed seat for a long time, his range of action is limited, his attention is highly concentrated, he is busy judging the information outside the car, and his mental state is highly tense, which leads to driving fatigue such as blurred eyes, backache, slow reaction and inflexible driving.
In summer, this situation is more obvious. In summer, the temperature in the car is also high, and the air circulation is slow. Especially in the afternoon, it is very easy for the human body to be sleepy. At this time, if you drive on a single high-speed road environment, such environment will produce high-speed hypnosis effect and aggravate the driver's sleepiness.
The following items also aggravate the driver's sleepiness when driving:
1. Sleep quality: insomnia or going to bed too late, poor sleep quality or sleepiness.
2. Environment: heavy mental burden, social pressure, long entertainment time and other reasons can lead to driving distraction.
3. Operating conditions: driving the vehicle for a long time and a long distance, and maintaining a constant speed for a long time.
4. Driving skills: novice drivers have poor safety awareness and are prone to doze, and experienced drivers may be blind and confident, leading to inattention.
How to avoid drowsiness when driving
1. Avoid high-risk driving time. In the morning and from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., the human body is most likely to be sleepy. It is easy to have a traffic accident due to dozing and mental wandering. It is better to avoid driving during this period.
2. Stop and take a nap. If you are driving for a long distance, stop in a safe place and take a nap. During the day control in half an hour, night can sleep 1 and a half hours, in order to clear the mind.
3. Use light to drive away drowsiness. Light helps to regulate the biological clock, inhibit the secretion of melatonin and reduce drowsiness. Therefore, if you drive at night, you may as well stop and go to the roadside shops or supermarkets to buy something, and use the light there to drive off sleepiness.
4. Reduce the temperature in the car. If the car is too warm and comfortable, it will aggravate sleepiness. In summer, you can use the air conditioner in the car to lower the temperature. In winter, you may as well open the window for a while to blow cold air.
5. Wash your face in cold water. Before driving, you can wash your face with cold water to stimulate sympathetic nerves and clear your mind.
6. Chewing gum. Do rhythmic activities, such as chewing gum, singing, etc., can stimulate the brain to secrete serotonin, make the brain clear and calm. Therefore, when driving, you might as well chew a piece of gum, or listen to some favorite music, but it's better not to listen to music with too slow or intense rhythm, in case of traffic accidents.
7. Have a cup of coffee half an hour before driving. Caffeine has the effect of stimulating the brain, keeping awake and invigorating, but it takes 15-30 minutes to take effect after drinking. Therefore, you can drink a cup of coffee or green tea half an hour before driving.
8. Have some sweet food. Glucose is the only source of nutrition for the brain. Before driving, you can eat some cakes or candies to quickly increase the blood sugar value, supplement nutrition to the brain and keep awake.
9. Smell the fragrance and refresh yourself. The aroma of rosemary, mint and eucalyptus has a refreshing effect. Before driving, you may as well drop a few drops of this kind of plant essential oil in the car to help keep your mind clear during driving.
10. Massage acupoints. Stimulating relevant acupoints can also clear the mind and drive away drowsiness. There are zhongchong (middle finger tip Center), Hegu Point (hukou); Fengfu (neck center, 1 inch above hairline), Baihui (intersection of head midline and two ear tips); foot Linyi (lateral side of the foot, the fourth toe, the little toe metatarsal bone) and Yinbai (inside the big toe, 0.1 inch from the toenail angle). Before driving, you can take one or two acupoints and massage for a few minutes.
