08/03/2022
“It is essential to get a good night’s rest.”
Your eyelids droop and your head starts to nod. Yawning becomes almost constant, and your vision seems blurry. You blink hard, focus your eyes, and suddenly realize that you’ve veered onto the shoulder or into oncoming traffic for a moment and quickly straighten the wheel. This time you were lucky; next time you could become the latest victim of the tragedy of drowsy driving.
According to the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America poll, 60% of Americans have driven while feeling sleepy and 37% admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel in the past year. However, many people cannot tell if or when they are about to fall asleep. And if sleepiness comes on while driving, many say to themselves, “I can handle this, I’ll be fine.” Yet they’re putting themselves and others in danger. What they really need is a nap or a good night’s sleep.
At MV we work hard, early mornings and long days. It is essential for each of us to get a good night rest before reporting to duty…but especially for anyone who operates a vehicle at MV.
Here are some warning signs that should tell you are fatigued and need to get some rest:
• Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids
• Daydreaming; wandering/disconnected thoughts
• Trouble remembering the last few miles driven; traffic signals, or the last pickup or passenger drop-off
• Yawning repeatedly or rubbing your eyes
• Trouble keeping your head up
• Drifting from your lane, tailgating, or hitting a shoulder rumble strip
• Feeling restless and irritable
Before you find yourself behind the wheel, you must commit to getting some rest.