I do the majority of my sleeping behind the wheel. Of course my car has no wheels and I sleep under an overpass so it presents little risk to others.

, not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car.

It happened to me about 10 years ago while driving from Montreal to Toronto on the 401 at around 2am.

I must have been doing about 120km/h when a car in front of me (probably just as he put his hazards on. I'm certain I would have rear ended him had he not done it when he did.

Scared the shiat out of me and I pulled over after my heart stopped racing (about 15 minutes) and got some shut eye. Since then it's sleep or a 30 minute break when I feel myself that tired.

Yay!

Let the witch hunt for sleepy drivers commence.

/ have been complaining about this for years

serial_crusher: I've done it a couple times.  It's pretty farking scary.  Pull over and nap in a gas station parking lot if you get to that point, then buy some coffee after the nap.

We need self-driving cars ASAP.

I've had it happen a couple of times to me when I worked nights AND had an infant daughter. I wrecked a nice Jetta that way.

1 in 24 seems low.

JoeyJoJo: I must have been doing about 120km/h when a car in front of me (probably just as he put his hazards on.

I must have been doing about 120km/h when a car in front of me (probably less than 400m out) put his hazards on. I was nodding off just as he put his hazards on.


/FTFM, stupid 'less than' sign

GlobalStrategic MapleSyrup Reserve: I do the majority of my sleeping behind the wheel. Of course my car has no wheels and I sleep under an overpass so it presents little risk to others.

But you don't seen to have an issue with an Internet connection.

That has never ever ever ever happened to me, and I've driven in some sorry conditions.

Always when I drive I'm at a heightened level of attention, especially at highway speeds. Almost too heightened, as driving long distance is exhausting mentally and physically for me from the hyper-vigilance. Drive confidently, but drive safely has always been my outlook. Drive with precision, purpose, and alertness. These are multi-ton hunks of metal you're rocketing down the road in!

One little twitch on the wheel and you can end your life or someone else's, or fark it up permanently. Arms ripped off, vegetative state, steering column through your groin, whatever.

Are people that dumb they don't realize what can happen if you nod off and cross the center line or go into the ditch?

Waking up in the wrong lane is scary as hell.

/glad that road was empty.

If you've ever driven all night long, you know how easy it is to do.

Sybarite: CDC researchers found drowsy driving was more common in men, people ages 25 to 34, those who averaged less than six hours of sleep each night, and - for some unexplained reason - Texans.

Long, straight roads, usually warm temps and its a big-ass state.

When I was moving from Dallas years ago, I almost splattered myself and wife across I-20 between Abilene and Midland, got about halfway off the roadway and recovered. Scared me shiatless.

Sybarite: CDC researchers found drowsy driving was more common in men, people ages 25 to 34, those who averaged less than six hours of sleep each night, and - for some unexplained reason - Texans.

The real underlying factor is likely obesity and OSA. Texas grows em big.

Yeah. The chief difference between a drunk driver and a sleepy driver is that a drunk driver, even if he has the reaction time of a sloth, will still at least TRY to brake or steer if he sees he's about to hit something.

The guy napping peacefully behind the wheel will hit whatever he hits at whatever the cruise control was set at.

That's what makes those accidents so farking scary. And the funny thing is, I know this, and yet when I get that road-sleepiness, no amount of horror or self-inflicted pain is enough to snap me out of it right away. Whereas if I were in my own bed and slapped myself, poured a bottle of water down my neck, screamed out loud and concentrated intensely on the image of my body hurtling through a windshield, I think I'd be pretty well awake at the end of that process.

NotCSB

My wife asks me if I want to see John Tesh in concert, I laugh and say no thinking this was a joke. A few days later she asks again saying a couple we know is going and we could go together. I told her to count me out as I was saving my money just in case Zeppelin got back together. A week later I was told in no uncertain terms that the tickets had been purchased and I would be going. I went

I regularly have dreams that I fell asleep while driving. I usually shoot up in the bed and reach for the steering wheel, which isn't there. It is terrifying, every time.

It's kind of obvious -- you're going down the interstate at night with no cars for two miles in front of or behind you except for the idiot twelve feet off your rear bumper.

The last guy that did that got the usual treatment (I gradually slow down over a period of miles) made it down to 32 mph in a 60 zone before he realized something was wrong.

nekom: If you've never had it happen to you, let me clue you in:  nodding off behind the wheel is farking SCARY.  I've only had it happen to me once, and it was enough to ensure I never ever do so again.

This. Happened to me just as I getting onto the exit ramp. Came to a bit before the curve. Decided to fix that with naps and coffee.

nekom: If you've never had it happen to you, let me clue you in:  nodding off behind the wheel is farking SCARY.  I've only had it happen to me once, and it was enough to ensure I never ever do so again.

Pffft part timers, I do it all the time.  If you see my car, it's a safe bet I've snoozed and, you better swerve outta the way.
The only time I'm not sleeping behind the wheel is leaving the parking garage, after that it's light's out.

serial_crusher: I've done it a couple times.  It's pretty farking scary.  Pull over and nap in a gas station parking lot if you get to that point, then buy some coffee after the nap.

We need self-driving cars ASAP.

Frack the self driving cars ( I like driving) but THIS to the pulling over. a 15 minute power nap can do wonders if you are tired as fark. Also if you aren't quite need the power nap yet bad off stopping at a gas station and going in to get some coffee or energy drink is good not even for the caffine as much as getting out of your seat and walking around gets your blod flowing in a way that wakes you up a bit.

Google's self-driving cars can't come too soon.

GlobalStrategic MapleSyrup Reserve: I do the majority of my sleeping behind the wheel. Of course my car has no wheels and I sleep under an overpass so it presents little risk to others.

If your car has no wheels, how do you sleep behind one?

I have two jobs, and on Thursdays and Fridays, I leave job #1 at 2:45pm and drive an hour to job #2. It's mostly highway driving, and there's one particular stretch which is long and straight and, well, it's just that time of day where my body wants to nap... I hate that feeling. Thankfully, it only happens rarely, but whenever it does, I put on loud music that I can sing along to, open the windows a bit to get some airflow, and chew gum. As soon as I can get off the highway at a safe exit, I do. It seems that just the act of getting up and walking around for a few minutes is enough to wake me up for the rest of the drive. And coffee. Coffee is very useful.

Clearly if we just make sleep illegal, this problem will go away.

Iworkformsn: "1 in 24 seems low."

I'm guessing (dis)honesty and timing.
Some people lie. Some people haven't made that particular mistake just yet.

I'm thinking the numbers look a little different if you intentionally sampled people who've all had a few decades of driving experience.
And, ya know, asked people anonymously. Where they don't even have to personally hand their anonymous results to a survey-taker.

/ not everyone is willing to admit to something like that to a stranger working in an official-sounding capacity who knows their name and phone number.

BraveNewCheneyWorld: Clearly if we just make sleep illegal, this problem will go away.

If you make sleeping illegal, then only criminals will sleep!

/Win-win?
//you can pry my sleep from my cold dead hands!

Cheron: NotCSB

My wife asks me if I want to see John Tesh in concert, I laugh and say no thinking this was a joke. A few days later she asks again saying a couple we know is going and we could go together. I told her to count me out as I was saving my money just in case Zeppelin got back together. A week later I was told in no uncertain terms that the tickets had been purchased and I would be going. I went

i would end my marriage before seeing john tesh in concert.

grow some balls, dude.

Luckily I've never completely zoned out, but I have punched myself repeatedly in the face to stay awake. Stupidly enough, it almost always hits me the hardest when I'm about 10 minutes from home.

I find coffee only helps so much, keeping my eyes open, but doesn't stop my brain from fuzzing out. I used to fall asleep in class to the point where my profs thought I had narcolepsy or something, and that was always a surreal when I snapped away from dreaming of being in a rainforest full of howler monkeys to being in a small box with twenty or so other students and a professor. Having lots of sugar around not only kept me awake, but gave my brain the energy to focus on the road, the prof, and whatever else.

Oh come on, no one else plays the, "how many seconds can I count with my eyes closed while driving" game?

WhackingDay: Luckily I've never completely zoned out, but I have punched myself repeatedly in the face to stay awake. Stupidly enough, it almost always hits me the hardest when I'm about 10 minutes from home.

i have slapped the living piss out of myself before while driving.

it usually doesn't help. singing a song, chew a straw, or pull over, chug a cup of coffee and nap 15 minutes. by the time the nap is over the caffeine kicks in and you are usually ok.

Farkbert: Invest in some sunflower seeds (in shells).  If you get drowsy, start popping them in your mouth and breaking the shells apart with your teeth and tongue.  The little bit of concentration this requires does wonders to help keep you alert.  Seriously.

I've used serrano peppers for long drives. I get a good 20 minutes of my mouth being on fire so I have enough time to find a place to stop. No mess compared to the sunflower seeds, well, not right away anyway.

I've let my eyes shut just a little too long a few times. I work nights for a boarding school and don't always get the sleep I require. Thankfully my wife has called me out a few times lately before we've gotten in the car and she'll drive us home.

Replace the Tesh with some Wagner - I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

I just do not understand how someone could nod off during driving. Whenever I'm tired behind the wheel I find what keeps me awake is the terror of wrapping my car and my spine around a tree. That is plenty of eye-opening incentive for this driver.

Farkbert: Invest in some sunflower seeds (in shells).  If you get drowsy, start popping them in your mouth and breaking the shells apart with your teeth and tongue.  The little bit of concentration this requires does wonders to help keep you alert.  Seriously.

Came in to say the same thing. I've been doing it and endorsing it for 20+ years.

I Used to drive rental cars for a living, usually shuttling cars from NYC to Washington, DC. I also used to routinely work 80 hours/week.

I woke up on the shoulder of the NJ turnpike once, going 65 MPH. I pulled off at the next exit for some coffee, and rode the rest of the way with the windows down. That was 25 years ago, and hasn't happened since.

nekom: If you've never had it happen to you, let me clue you in:  nodding off behind the wheel is farking SCARY.  I've only had it happen to me once, and it was enough to ensure I never ever do so again.

I've done it once. Woke up with my side passenger mirror hit a mile marker on the side of a back road. I was lucky it didn't smash the window. Vowed to never let that happen again.

/CSB flood are go

I was driving home from a marathon LAN party in Louisville about 12 years ago when I started hitting that wall and I just pulled into the next exit and snoozed for about 20 mins and went back to driving. Taking a 20-minute breather is always a better option.

There was one time that I was forced to do it, but I had a wingman to talk to and keep active. We were driving a couple of friends to their parent's house in Virginia. Left at 5:00am on a Sunday and I drove most of the way with the agreement that at night, my wife would sleep until about 11:00 or when I started to get the "shifty eyes". This was designed so that I could get a few hours rest before work Monday morning. So, about 11:30 at night, I nudge her and say it's her turn. About 20 minutes later, she nudges me and says "I can't do this." Because she didn't sleep for those three hours like she was supposed to. We stopped at a gas station and I loaded up on Mountain Dew and snacks and went back to driving. Made it home about 5:30am, slept for an hour, went to work with 1.5 hours of sleep in the last 24. Coffee was my friend that day... Told my wife that the next time she offers to do that, I will buy them a cheap plane ticket instead of doing that again...

/CSB waters receding

nekom: If you've never had it happen to you, let me clue you in:  nodding off behind the wheel is farking SCARY.  I've only had it happen to me once, and it was enough to ensure I never ever do so again.

This is why I sold my car. I'll nod off when I'm wide-awake. Coffee doesn't help. I nod off in action movies as well, during the most intense bits. I think the motion just hypnotizes me.