When a person near you on the road swerves or randomly slows down and speeds up, you may feel nervous. This kind of erratic driving is one sign that someone behind the wheel could be falling asleep.
Drowsy driving is a serious issue that impacts the safety of anyone around, including drivers who are trying to enter or exit the same roadway.
Extreme speeds
According to the United States Department of Transportation, drivers who mistakenly think that they are safe to drive after skipping sleep can make impulsive decisions. Whether they are taking medications that cause sleepiness or working long shifts, these people may find themselves repeatedly falling asleep in their seats.
This tiredness can lead to them leaving their feet on the gas pedal and accidentally accelerating beyond the speed limit.
Terrible reaction times
Being able to react quickly to a car pulling out or turning into their lane is an important skill for all drivers. When a driver is too tired to turn the wheel and use the brakes as quickly as they should, they could sideswipe or ram into another car.
Seconds of microsleep, which is when a person closes their eyes and falls asleep for a very short amount of time, while operating a vehicle is dangerous and can lead to a crash.
Lane drifting
If you notice yawning and heads that move up and down from the drowsy drivers around you, you may also see them drifting from one lane to another without using any signals.
Being aware of how drowsy driving leaves people using cars, trucks or motorcycles at risk for a head or spinal cord injury after a crash is important.