This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of InsuranceHunter for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
A few years ago, a young man and woman from our community were driving back to the Ottawa Valley after a day of shopping in Ottawa. The young man fell asleep behind the wheel and veered into oncoming traffic. He was not injured, but his girlfriend was killed instantly. I remember thinking how tragic this story was and how awful that young man must have felt. I could not fathom the enormous guilt he will have to live with for the rest of his life. It's sad because it's something that could have been prevented if he had not gotten behind the wheel when he was so overtired.
With so many people on the roads including young families with children, it's so important to not drive when you are feeling tired and sleepy. In my opinion, driving while tired is similar to driving while impaired by alchohol or drugs. You just shouldn't do it!
According to Insurance Hunter’s safety survey, young parents are more likely tired than their older counterparts. This totally makes sense to me. I remember being so very tired when my kids were younger and still not sleeping through the night. Having a baby and toddler takes it's toll on a person. The survey also found that Ontario motorists still continue to drive while they are overtired which can lead to tragic consequences like an accident- sometimes with fatal results.
The survey also revealed that men with young families who take road trips are much more likely to nod off behind the wheel compared to women. It's a big difference too with 30% of men indicating they have fallen asleep behind the wheel while only 14% of women have. I know for all the road trips we have ever taken, my husband was the one who did all the driving. It also showed that 72% of dads do most of the driving on road trips.
As parents we often put the needs of our children ahead of our own. However, when you are driving, I believe the driver's needs should take precedent because he holds the life of the family in his hands when he gets behind the wheel. The study showed that 64% of Ontario men ignored the signs of fatigue and continued driving while on a road trip. I'm sure they did not realize that they were putting their family at risk and probably just wanted to get to their destination. It's stressful to travel with kids and the driving is usually the hardest part so I can understand why they would continue to drive.
I know parents plan for road trips and think of the kid's needs like packing enough snacks for the kids and bring toys & games to keep the kids entertained. The survey also revealed that most parents do set out on road trips in a positive frame of mind. 24% of drivers surveyed said they started the trip feeling happy and 39% indicated they were feeling excited.
I encourage you to check out the survey results on the Insurance Hunter website. I think you will find it eye-opening and will make you think twice about driving while tired. Also, while you are there, get a quote for auto insurance and see how it compares to your current rate!
About Stacie
I don’t start off driving tired, but often get tired while driving… and I’m not even talking about long trips!! It’s awful!
I have always been mindful of the road and made sure I was never too tired to drive. For awhile I had regular long distance trips to make with my children and as a single parent it is a big responsibility to drive responsibly. I have seen the consequences of people driving while too tired and even had to take measures to get myself and my children out of danger when I was traveling with a man who would not admit to be being overly tired or that he was falling asleep at the wheel. I always plan ahead and know mark safe spots along my trip just in case I do get over tired and have to pull over to rest or recharge for awhile. Sometimes people have to realize that it is not about seeming weak. It is only about keeping those you care about safe. That is the only important thing, everything else can wait. You can be late. You can take longer. You can take a break. But, you can’t get back those few minutes when you fall asleep at the wheel.
Yes, in recent years I notice as I’m getting older I tend to get drowsy the longer I drive.
Isnt’ that sad? There are so many tragic accidents that occur simply because the driver is tired.. Easily preventable. I can understand why. Parent feel the NEED to get behind the wheel to get things accomplished, but I think it takes looking at the bigger picture. Is it more important to get to where you want or feel you need to go, or is your life more important? Or quite possibly your childrens life more important??
That’s so sad. One thing I’ve always done, if I’m too tired to go on I stop. Lives cannot be replaced -cars can.
That is such a sad story!
I encourage my husband not to drive if he’s too tired, as I don’t drive . I have seen a couple of wrecks throughout the city that resulted from someone falling asleep behind the wheel, something so easily preventable. Thanks for sharing this story, I will definitely be sharing, might make people think twice.
we have triple a and then we use them for the trip that we go to and then we are going
try to get a map finder
I believe prescription drugs have a lot to do with it, people believe just because something is prescribed by a doctor its okay but all the side effects especially when your on more than one medication can lead to so many things including being tired or “drugged” while driving.
If my husband and I feel any kind of tiredness while driving we pull over ,or go to a hotel . We dont drive while tired. We would rather get there safe and late then dead.
I have never been able to sleep sitting up, in a moving vehicle or on my back. Don’t know why. So I have never had the fear of falling asleep at the wheel. However, the older I get I’m just waiting for the day I fall asleep sitting up or on my back. Then I’ll begin to be afraid.
Good reminder – I have been guilty of driving while extremely tired. Thankfully I’ve never fallen asleep at the wheel. That is a tragic story and one that I don’t want to become my own!
I have driven tired and scared the hell out of myself once, I was lucky and will never drive when I am tired again.
I try very hard not to drive while tired, I know how dangerous it can be. For many years driving was my job, and often I would pull over and either take a break and step out of the vehicle, or take a nap, setting an alarm to wake me up later…
Unfortunately, I do drive tired. However, I try to pull over if I get sleepy or start to zone out. Listening to audio books helps me a lot.
When I took driver’s ed (about 5.5 years ago), our teacher told us that driving while tired will make your reflexes about the speed of a 70-75 year old person. I have scared myself while driving tired (starting to fall asleep). Loud music and rolling down the window usually helps me.
I try to never drive when tired, but if it occurs i TRY TO MAKE A REST STOP
I agree. People should not drive when they know they haven’t gotten enough sleep. It can be fatal.
This is a good article for everyone to read if we are a driver. It is helpful if your going on a long trip to have someone else with you so you dont fall asleep. Long trips are the worst. Stop often stretch and walk around. Alot of times just opening the wind for air or listening to the radio helps . With children we need to be more careful as drivers. Thanks for the information