10 tips to avoid driver fatigue

Did you know that fatigue is the fourth most common avoidable cause of fatal accidents on Spanish roads?

With the arrival of summer, car journeys increase considerably. And with them, the number of accidents. The study “Driving Habits 2018”, produced by DUCIT, the Spanish Drivers’ Observatory, has concluded that 74% of people do not stop to rest enough during their journeys, and 14% say they do not stop at all during the whole trip, making the journey “in one go”. Likewise, a quarter admit to having drunk alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

Curiously, men aged between 35 and 55 have the worst travelling habits, while women take a more responsible attitude behind the wheel.

Although people generally know the dangers of fatigue, they still ignore what the data shows so clearly. Measures such as pulling over to stretch or having a drink can increase the driver’s attention and reaction time by 26%.

There are certain variables that can affect the way we drive, such as posture when sitting, the number of kilometres travelled, traffic jams, or travelling after a day’s work, which substantially increase the risk of fatigue.

Fatigue shows up in symptoms such as loss of concentration, itchy eyes, blurred vision, the need to shift in your seat, dehydration and drowsiness… However, all of this can be avoided if we follow certain guidelines to improve our mental and physical state. Remember that knowing the symptoms is the most important thing in order to prevent dangerous situations.

Below we give you 10 useful tips so that you can reduce fatigue or delay its onset as much as possible. Bear in mind, however, some basic rules you should follow as a preventive method, that is, stop every 2 hours, stretch and stay hydrated, especially in summer:

1. 1. Sleep well before setting off on a journey: rest is essential for both your physical and mental health. Try to sleep at least 7 hours before making a long trip, and if you can, avoid setting off straight after your working day.
   2. Get comfortable: Being comfortable behind the wheel is essential to avoid tiredness. Adjust your seat, steering wheel and head restraint properly. Don’t recline the seat too far or set it exaggeratedly upright; always look for a happy medium where you feel good, but not to the point where you want to take a nap…
   3. Take it calmly: Even if you have lost a lot of time in a traffic jam, the key is not to try to make up for lost time but to arrive. Relax with the people around you or with music, but don’t let frustration and anger take over.
   4. Keep your attention until the end: Many of us make the mistake of relaxing when we are close to our destination. Happiness and other feelings make us lose concentration. Enjoy your emotions, but without forgetting that you are still inside a car. Most accidents happen at these moments.
   5. Every 200 km: try to make a stop to stretch, clear your head or hydrate roughly every 2 hours or 200 km. Reduce this interval if you are travelling at night. A timely stop can sharpen your senses and increase your reaction time by up to 26%.
   6. Drink during the journey: Every time you stop, make sure you buy a soft drink. It will be your best ally and will raise your levels of alertness.
   7. Stay hydrated: Lack of hydration can cause headaches as well as prolonged mental tiredness, drowsiness and physical discomfort.
   8. Plan ahead: Before you set off, check the traffic. If you make a detailed plan of the hours you will spend on the road, you will get an idea of what to expect and be able to avoid traffic jams, especially if you decide to travel at night, an option also especially recommended in summer to avoid the heat.
   9. Avoid the hottest hours: Especially at midday when the sun is highest, the heat can become dangerous, to the point of quickly dehydrating and fatiguing you, and it can also raise stress levels and affect your mood.
   10. Don’t overuse the air conditioning: Don’t set the air too cold. If you overdo it you may even catch a cold or be forced to turn it off because it is too cold, which can end up leading to a chill.