From long working hours on the road for taxi and truck drivers to people who travel long distances to reach their holiday destinations, fatigue when driving is a common problem. 

According to Dr Randall, ordinary members of the public not used to driving long distances may be especially at risk of fatigue-impaired driving – especially on long straight stretches of country road like on the N3 from Limpopo down to the Cape.

She recommends that, for example, the man driving his family a couple of hours to a holiday destination, leaving in the morning, should get good sleep the night before the journey – and ideally also the night before that. He should set off after having eaten a healthy meal or at least a snack, together with whatever hot drink he may be used to having in the mornings like tea or coffee. He should drink water periodically while travelling to stay well hydrated and should ask family members to talk to him, or he could play pleasant music (not too soothing and also not too jarring) or listen to the radio to keep himself mentally engaged whilst not being distracted from the act of driving. 

Dr Randall adds that most guidelines suggest breaking a journey every two hours so he may be able to do it in one go, but if he starts to feel drowsy or is struggling to keep up his concentration he should be willing to stop for a rest and get out of the vehicle, stretch and take some deep breaths.  The bigger problem occurs when people time their holiday travel in more dangerous ways – like setting off late in the day after having dealt with a very busy workload, or driving in the dark when the body and mind naturally start to reduce their activity in preparation for sleep. Another problem is when people get up extremely early after inadequate sleep, perhaps to beat the morning rush hour and get a head start on their journey. They may then find themselves driving in a very tired state and simultaneously having to deal with challenges like sunrise and glare, or encountering leftover drunk drivers or revelers heading home after a night out. If such a holiday driver rushes to set off and doesn’t first deal with basic needs like food and drink or using the bathroom, the situation is worsened. 

You can listen to the full conversation here:

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