BS: How do you drive without getting tired?

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Bluesmike
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 01:40 AM

Flashing lights may vary slightly from region to region but I don't think all that much.
Sure, if you are overtaking a vehicle a quick flash tells them you are coming up from behind and wish to overtake, They should respond with a single flash of the drivers side indicator which says- it is safe to overtake. However, if you are in the slow lane and an overtaking vehicle is safely past, a flash tells them they are clear to move back.
Conversely, if they respond with a single flash of the kerbside indicator then it is not safe to pass and you should tuck in behind until they tell you otherwise.
Once safely past we give single flashes L,R,L,R to say thanks.
Back in the old days of this country before CB radios we used to turn on our interior lights and hold up our log books to approaching trucks to tell them the 'scalies' were working down the line waiting to weigh us or check log books. Also repeated flashes of the cabin light meant the Highway Patrol were hiding down the line or alternatively, flashes of high beam are used to tell oncoming traffic that there is a speed trap.
Although there are cowboys out there who rely on them I would never recomend drug use to help complete a task-I have read that they are compulsory for US fighter pilots- and doesn't that speak volumes about the American military.
Stay hydrated with water not Coke- keep PK if you insist on candy but a bag of dried apricots is better.
I would appreciate someone in other countries passing on to me the codes used by truckers in their country.
Kind regards to you all and safe driving.
Happy New Year
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST,Lepus Rex, cookieless
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 09:48 PM

I drink a lot of Mountain Dew, and listen to fast, loud music. Can't listen to books on tape, or radio with people talking, as that puts me to sleep, no matter how interesting the subject. The farthest I've gone without stopping for rest was from east-central Minnesota to Nashville, which was about 950 miles. I could have made it to Atlanta, but there was freezing rain, and the locals didn't seem to know how to deal with that.

I agree that cruise control can be a bad thing. One of the things that has kept me awake on several long drives was that I had no cruise control, and my legs were a little too long to push the gas pedal without twisting my foot sideways. After a few hundred miles in that position, the pain sort of kept me awake.

Petr, your brick wall joke reminds me of when I first started driving. I would regularly drive home from work (20 miles) when I was much too tired, and I'd often fall asleep about 3/4th of the way home. Several times, I woke up to find a garage illuminated in my headlights. After screaming and throwing my hands up to shield my face, I'd realise that I was in my driveway, with my foot on the brake. No idea how I drove home in my sleep all those times...
I never did actually crash, though, and I'm lucky I never killed anyone. Stupid.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 09:09 PM

Petr, that is SICK! I love it!

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 08:37 PM

If the distance is long enough, you will get tired no matter what you do. Pull over and have a kip.

Been there, done that.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 06:29 PM

when youre on a long road trip, and the front passenger is nodding
off, you lean over and ask them 'Do you want me to drive for a while?'
they wake up right away.
or better yet you slowly pull over, and park in front of a brick wall,
then suddenly you turn the lights on, and honk, and scream'
were gonna die!'.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 02:15 PM

On some of the very long drives I've made, late at night, I've been very glad to be in a line of trucks. Driving toward Memphis and watching the far off lightening, or the fireflies in a field in Indiana so bright the whole thing glowed from a distance, the silence of everything but my tires - it was just good to have someone else around. You think you're just imagining having a sort of "buddy" on the road, then they head off an exit or to a rest stop and and blink their lights at you.

Like lots of folks here, I sing along with CDs or tapes. I actually learn songs this way. Just don't listen to Kate Wolf songs all the way on a 10 hour trip or you'll start looking for a straight razor when you get out of the car. Beautiful songs, but not exactly happy-making.

The more tired I am and the more desperate I am to hurry-up-and-get-there, the more I need to stop frequently. I like talking to folks at the stops too. I haven't ever tried talking books. Bat Goddess gave me 'The Fourth Tower of Inverness' - a radio show from the late 60's or early 70's on something like 5 tapes. I enjoyed that, so I should enjoy talking books.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 01:58 PM

I sing song chains - pick a long song, then find a song that has a key word from the first song, then sing a song that has a key word from THAT song... and the other thing I do is keep the radio on SCAN, so that I can't accustom to it since it changes every few seconds. I'll take it off SCAN to hear a song I like, then click it right back on again. But then again I love driving, even in Ireland on what was, for me, the wrong side of the road...

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: *daylia*
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 01:21 PM

Bluesmike, THANK YOU for the tips on how to drive safely and courteously with truckers. There's nothing like being on unfamiliar mountain highways surrounded by transports to scare the living H*** out of me - and frightened, timid drivers cause a LOT of grief (I know, I've been there!)

Happy trails!

daylia

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 12:59 PM

Three times 'round the gas station gets your emotions aroused? Contemplating drilling in ANWR, or Hussein in Iraq? Or perhaps visualizing the image of Debbie Allen dancing to the gas station music in the Office Depot ads?

;-D

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: David Ingerson
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 12:46 PM

The key is to keep active. Freeway driving with cruise control is just as passive and just as soporific as watching the tube. Active body--seat dancing (or at least shifting), frequent stretches, head turnings, and frequent reaching for small bits of food and chewing slowly. Active mind--talking, singing (the most effective way for me), analysing traffic, analysing (not just listening to) music. While stopped on a break, I find that washing my face in cold water or running to get my heart and blood going helps a lot. The best is a race three times around the gas station which also gets the emotions aroused.

The light signals do seem to be regional. In the states when the truck can safely pull back in front of you, turn off your headlights for a second. A flash of high beams means that you are coming through or passing and, therefore, DON'T get in front of me.

I'd love to have to drive in Ireland but I'm stuck driving in Oregon and Washington.

David

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 12:45 PM

And if you think I'm being a killjoy, suggesting something as sensible as just not driving when you're tired, okay, here is one more way to drive without getting tired...

1. Carry a hysterical cat in the car with you. One that is terrified of being inside a car. The cat will definitely keep you alert and awake at all times.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: leprechaun
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 12:44 PM

Back in my produce delivery days I used to sing, punch the ceiling with my fist, or brush my teeth. Other little tricks of the trade include stopping at the rest area and jumping in the river with all your clothes on, picking up a dangerous looking hitchhiker, or getting into a road-rage race with the other aggressive freeway drivers.

When all else failed, I just stopped under an overpass and slept for twenty minutes. That was enough to keep me going for fifty more miles.

ArtBrooks - sorry to hear about your broken leg.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 12:29 PM

Singing is good, but the sensible thing to do is simply STOP driving when you are getting tired. Take a break at a cafe. Drink some water, eat some food, replenish your system. This is what an animal or a human living in a natural way would do...an animal has the sense to stop and rest when it needs to.

A little common sense, a little more attention to the actual "process" of living rather than our usual goal-oriented, obsessive behaviour would save a whole lot of lives out there on the roads.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Allan C.
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 10:06 AM

Sing! Keeping your mind active while it searches for the next verse (or word!) is very helpful. Also, you can get a lot of blood pumping in just a moment or two of moving your legs. Stomp your feet! Wiggle them about. Do the Hokey Pokey!

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 08:38 AM

Well of course, you can always do it in your dreams - until you wake up and find SHIT - I REALLY AM DRIVING !

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 08:15 AM

Celtic Soul - Driving in any country with big straight highways is not at all the same as driving in Ireland, where you have to be constantly alert on winding, unlit roads where a tractor may pull out at any point, and other drivers come blaring past with headlights blazing.

I just find that my whole jaw goes into spasm - think what I need is a car CD player, to play some singalong bluegrass or sean-nos or something.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Bobert
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 08:12 AM

Weed, Whites and Wine...

Bobert

P.S. Throw in some good music and a good partner and have at it...

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: MMario
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 07:46 AM

Having a child in the car can *REALLY* keep you alert - it also tends to make you much more aware of the difference between - "tired but still alert" and "pull over NOW!-tired".

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: mkebenn
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 07:36 AM

..I'm takin' little white pills, and my eyes are open wide.
Seriously, anything, singing, thinking, watching, just be sure not to stare at the lines, when they attract you, it's time to pull over. Mike

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 11:34 PM

*4* hours? You can tell you live on an island! ;D

I used to do 12 regularly from Kentucky to Maryland (USA). I packed a bunch of road food, got a good nights sleep, got up early, and brought a cooler for that and a lot of coca cola.

When all else failed, I would sing to myself, or talk to my kid (if she was awake).

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 05:25 PM

Just a thought but.....

I have read many times (and been there many times) how songwriters use a long boring car journey to help write a song.

I ain't never heard of anyone writing a song as they fall asleep. As soon as they wake up - fer sure.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: alanabit
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 04:10 PM

I couldn't agree more with McGrath and the others who assert that tired driving can be like drunken driving. I fell asleep at the wheel while driving through the Rhurgebiet on my way up to Bremen. It was only for a millisecond or whatever, but when I came round I felt as if I had been sleeping deeply for hours. I wound the window down and pulled into the next parking spot so I could sleep in the back of my bus. I don't expect to get that lucky twice.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 04:06 PM

I am surprised noone has mentioned medications and how they may effect driving. The one I am on has a warning label that it may make me drowsy. I seem to do okay as long as someone is with me. Alone, I get sleepy after an hour or so, unless I am on side roads which require more attention.

Without a passenger, I don't even like to go out on the interstate because the monotony puts me right out. Radio. taped books, etc. just lull me to sleep even more.:-) Before this med., I used to dirve all over heck and back when selling to the oilfields of Wyoming and when we lived back East I put over 100,000 miles on a new car in about four years. Some New Englanders said I'd seen more of their area that they'de ever done!

Spaw, I think there may be something to the age theory, but I don't think it is because of the age itself, rather the wisdom to choose NOT to add such stress to our load, eh? My Rog can still drive hours and hours with few stops, but chooses not to now that it is not necessary for work.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 03:38 PM

Agreed on all of the above, but as was mentioned on another thread recently, Bob Marley and genre has an amazing capacity to make a long drive pass quickly. Time warp stuff. Could calm the anxiety that leads to tired. (But it's true, once the fatigue is there, fighting it can delay some, but its IS like driving drunk - Many local laws, I believe, count it as "impaired.")

(The driver's side indicator sounds like a regional custom. If someone did that to me when I wanted to pass, I would think they were just trying to piss me off. I turn the head (and tail) ights off and on once.)

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 06:17 AM

I tick off the landmarks - The Poatato Farm, Stainsby Canal, Lift Bridge, River Trent, Aire & Calder Canal etc etc but I like to know about waterways. It helps to alert you to junctions and when to change direction. I also prefer a passenger to talk to but for 10 years my regular passenger was not as cooperative even knowing why I liked to remark on the landscape (waterways especially). Even in the interests of her own safety . Maybe the tension it caused kept me awake, not that she did it for that reason.
I knew a guy who used to play car cricket with his family and we played it when out on business. It involved pub signs and names and the numbers of animals and legs, and a journey total. First sight gets the points. He admitted changing the route so he could drive past "The Four Horsemen of the Apocvolypse" type of pub, sighting it 200yds before anyone else. Doubt he ever got weary.

Mid afternoon is the worst time for older drivers falling asleep (siesta time). Early morning for younger drivers. UK gov statistics.
Solo drive at night is my bogey time.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST,The Banjoest
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 04:18 AM

I hold a $100.00 bill out the window.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 02:02 AM

I find it's important to keep the blood sugar up. Eating “comfort foods” will make things worse. Stay away from donuts, pastries, burgers & fries or any foods high in sugar and fat. Drink cold water and eat grapes. I've also gone long distances (6 to 10 hours) on strawberry Twizlers, a stringy red colored jellied confection with low fat content. Not the best from a health perspective but it works. Foods high in complete protein but low in sugars and fats might work too.

Another tip is to take “the road less traveled.” Use an online map site such as MapPoint.com and choose the route of least distance rather than the fastest route. The route will often avoid the interstate highways that introduce much of the monotony into driving. As a side benefit, I find I often save time and always save fuel.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 11:46 PM

I've ridden with sleepy drivers, and it's torture if the passenger is asleep when you're tired, so I've forced myself to stay awake and keep them talking, anything to keep them awake. Especially after mountain climbing all day and into the evening--you're exhausted. I agree 100% with John from Hull--don't drive tired, take a nap. It's the only way to survive the trip.

Fresh air, all of those things, have been shown to not work beyond a momentary blast. Sugar will put many people to sleep (the seratonin effect from sugar) after the sugar buzz wears off. Pull over and take a nap, and do yourself and everyone a favor by living to tell about the trip!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Bluesmike
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 11:40 PM

I sorta know about this stuff. I drive B-Doubles on linehaul in Australia and although I only average about 1100kms a night these days I used to drive Perth Melbourne- Perth - about 9000 K's a week.
Firstly- try to get some good sleep before you go. One cup of coffee before you leave and try to stay off it- maybe only one cup around 2.00am and another at dawn.
Next- I carry a bag of apples and another one of nut or trail mix, raw carrots are good. The apples are an instant sugar fix and the nuts are sustaining. Roadhouse food- burgers,chips etc will kill you one way or the other.
I don't have to get out of the truck much these days but it pays to get out and kick the tyres every couple of hours or so- a B-Double has 34 tyres so the sore foot will help keep you awake too.
Finally try to drive defensively and assertively rather than passively. What I mean is look at the people driving near you and see if you can learn to 'read' their behaviour, make eye contact with other road users and if a 'semi' goes by you give him a brief flash with your highbeam to let him know when he is clear of you and he can move back in to the curbside lane. He will appreciate it and tell other professional drivers to look out for you.
If you see a large vehicle moving up behind you, flash your drivers side indicator once to let him know you have seen him and that it is clear for him to pass.
By being involved with what you are doing on the road you will find the trip passes faster and professional drivers will recognise it and help.
Safe driving
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Nancy King
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 11:24 PM

Every year I make at least two round trips between the D.C. are and my place in Maine -- about 600 miles. It's a reasonable one-day trip if there are two drivers, but now that I have to drive it alone, I always take two days. It's a drag to spend so much of my vacation time on the road, but at least I get there and back.

I agree about frequent stops -- at least every two hours -- and I love recorded books. Recently I've found I do much better if I avoid sweets, which give a quick energy boost followed all too soon by serious drowsiness. I bring along a good lunch, which I eat at whatever picnic spot I can find (sure wish there were more good ones available!) -- NEVER sit in the car to eat. If I do get drowsy I stop and walk around for a while and eat an apple. Seems to help.

I really do think the next scientific breakthrough has got to be teleportation...

Cheers, Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Cluin
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 08:35 PM

Well, I can never get a good night's sleep when I've got a long trip next morning. RF is right. Books on tape are great. But it's best to have someone else with you, to talk or spell you off if need be.

But I won't drive sleepy again. A couple of years ago, my buddy and I were heading down to Hamilton for a few gigs. It was just after sunup and we'd only gotten about 40 miles out of the Sault and were behind a Winnebago. Came around a curve and saw the `Bago wandering into the other lane so we came up beside it. We thought he was going to take the next left, but he wasn't slowing down. "He's gonna flip that thing over when he goes to turn," I said.

But I needn't have worried. The RV blew through the turn and piled straight into the rock cut just the other side of the intersection. At full highway speed. Luckily, we were the only other vehicles on the highway nearby so nobody else was threatened.

I slammed on the brakes and pulled it over and we both jumped out and ran over to the crash, figuring on pulling bodies out or something... not that we had a lot of time to think. We ran across the road, only stopping to check for oncoming traffic after we were halfway across.

Just as we got to the wreck (which had bounced backwards and fell over on its port side), the driver's door flips open and this wiry little guy climbs out, bald as a cue-ball on top but with a long ponytail hanging from his male pattern fringe. He looks dazed and has a little cut on his forehead, but is otherwise alright. The first words out of his mouth (The truth!) were "Hi. We're with the circus!"

Apparently, he'd been up all night, packing up the travelling circus and then stayed at the Husky, eating and drinking tons of coffee in preparation for the morning run to Sudbury where the circus was setting up next. He had 2 guys and a dog sleeping in the back and had fallen asleep at the wheel with his cruise control on.

So, in addition to drunks and fools, I guess God loves circus people too, because none of these guys was hurt. One guy (not the driver) had a bruised rib and the shakes and wanted a cigarette bad. We couldn't get the back door open so my buddy went over to the roof vent and broke it open to check on the guys inside. The driver started yelling at him for busting his vent, but that was before he saw the front of his vehicle. The thing was totalled. Then he didn't want us to call the OPP because his license plate tag was expired. And he was agonizing over how he was going to get his crew to Sudbury.

"Buddy, you got much bigger problems," we told him. "And you should be pretty grateful you're still walking around pissing and moaning at this point too."

So we got a pretty good lesson that day. I have no illusions about how much luck I'd have in a crash like that. It still amazes me.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: open mike
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 08:17 PM

if you move your eyes from side to side
and sweeping your gaze helps to keep from
getting mezmerized...also if at night look
to the right side of the road-if there is a
white fog line there, watch it to avoid getting
blinded from on-coming traffic...
then there are those little beeper things you can hang
on your ears--i think they wear them in the legislature too.
when your head nods they go beep...
also having sex while driving might keep you awake..
on second thought that is not very safe!!

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 08:10 PM

I work as a delivery driver, and have done for over 10 years, I have driven over 500,000 miles, and seen far to many car crashes, a few of them were fatal, many of these will have been caused by tired drivers ,if you are tired stop and take a break. Whatever event you are driving to cannot be more important than your life, driving whilst tired is just as dangerous as driving whilst drunk, don't do it.john

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 08:08 PM

Little Hawk: Practice, Practice, Practice!

JTT: coffee, good and diverse music, frequent stops( every hundred miles or so), munchies, talking books.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 06:30 PM

Little Hawk - find the right partner, somehow you can go on for hours with the right person.

As for driving - stiff necks - do shoulder rolls and head rotations if conditions allow (stopped at lights, hold-ups, pulled in to parking space). Move your rear view mirror so that you have to move your whole head slightly rather than just your eyes, that gives you a bit of movement. Check your wing (side) mirrors regularly too, this also moves your neck and gives you a better chance of seeing what is coming up behind.

Change stations occasionally, nothing like a blast of Mozart to wake you up if you've been listening to Black Sabbath. Don't have it too loud though...

Fresh air is good too... having a window open is better than the air conditioning up high, because the air con is usually circulating staler air. If you don't like the draft on your face, open a rear window or the sun roof.

I find seat dancing helps - gets me funny looks from other drivers but bopping along in my seat keeps the circulation going, something I found invaluable when I drove an automatic.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 05:25 PM

I just get tense when I drive - my tongue freezes up in my mouth and my neck goes stiff. J

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 04:23 PM

More importantly, how do you have sex without getting tired? Solve that one, and the world will beat a path to your door.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 04:18 PM

Have a good night's sleep first, take regular breaks, play talking books and have a bag of sweets to keep up blood sugar.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Amos
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 03:57 PM

Actually, I find the higher the IQ the more likely you are to be able to toll alng for long periods without getting bored, because you're having fun seeing, thinking, etc. I drove for 24 hours straight last summer with a couple of twenty-minute braks to shut eyes and recharge. :>) So I'm sure my theory is right, Kendall! *bg**

A

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 03:21 PM

Beer helps

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: harvey andrews
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 02:55 PM

Coming back from gigs at night I find Radio 5 live in theUK a great help. It's usually a phone in and I keep awake by shouting loudly, usually at Edwina Currie,even more so now she's still on air debating questions of morality which always elicits my shout "How can you talk about morality and making judgements to anyone!" and I stay awake.
I'm amazed she's kept her job when Angus Dayton (spelling?) has lost his.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: kendall
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 02:38 PM

I read somewhere that the higher your IQ, the more likely you are to fall asleep at the wheel from boredom. I can drive about 100 miles at a stretch.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: GUEST,Linda Goodman
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 02:05 PM

I take NoDoz, I bring tapes and sing along a lot--there's no better way to oxygenate your brain. I DONT play any Bach music. I allow lots of time and take lots of breaks (or a mini-nap).   I try for scenic routes if I can find them. If AAA tells me a trip takes 4 hours, I allow 6+.

I hope my son learns to drive this summer, so we can trade off and actually get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time!

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: artbrooks
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 02:02 PM

We just drove from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Pennsacola, Florida and back, a matter of about 1500 miles each way. We broke the leg from ABQ to Santa Fe (where our daughter lives) into a seven and a five hour stretch, but did the SAT to P-cola leg right through. It wasn't hard going, but seemed much longer comiong back. We had been sleep-deprived from relative-visiting. My own tip would be to drink plenty of coffee...that results in a natural break every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cars in the US and Canada are generally a lot larger inside, so that prevents a lot of the cramping in a smaller car. Stop and stretch a lot.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Big Tim
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 02:01 PM

"From the Atlantic to the Irish Sea coast" - where's this.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 01:42 PM

Trains are a much better way of getting around, so long as they go where you want to go, or vice versa.

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: catspaw49
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 01:33 PM

I think age may have an effect on some of us.......When I was in my twenties and thirties, throughout the spring/summer/fall I was racing either a boat or a car almost every weekend...about 12 years or so. I thought nothing of hooking up and driving a thousand miles one way. I had people who travelled with me and we would share driving time, but I always preferred to drive myself....I hate to ride!   When I was with Sun I preferrred to fly because of the great distances and time, but with Airtex, even into my forties as a rep, I would travel several thousand miles by car almost weekly.

Somewhere along the line I got bored with it and now the thought of driving 600 or 700 miles as we did several times over Christmas just seems daunting. Maybe I'm burnt out on driving........but I still don't want to ride either!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 01:19 PM

Don't drive when you're tired, the same way you don't drive when you're drunk. Stop driving when you're tired, and take a break. Even if it's a nuisance and you want to get there quickly.

With all the focus on drinking and driving there seems to be a tendency to shrug off all the other things that can be every bit as dangerous - driving when tired, driving when you haven't eaten and your blood sugar is low, driving when you are quarrelling, driving without switching off your mobile phone...

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Bill D
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 01:11 PM

I suspect it is partially a matter of luck in your mind/body coordination, and partially a matter of finding a vehicle that you are comfortable in and following reasonable care in rest stops. Yes, radios and snacks can help also.

I am fortunate in that I can drive long distances (as in 10-12 hour days) when I need to. I seem to have also an adreniline pump that will keep me from falling asleep.....until I stop at the end of the drive, then *wham* out like a light!

Subject: RE: BS: How do you drive without getting tired?
From: Gareth
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 12:57 PM

As an ex 'Rep' music, radio, and stop at least every 2 hours for a break. - Even at Motorway prices !!! - But the M25 still deters !!!!

Gareth