Driving Tips > Safety Columns
Be alert to the dangers of highway hypnosis
You’ve been driving for hours on straight roads through snow-covered fields. Suddenly you realize you’re scarcely aware that you’re driving.
Highway hypnosis can creep up on the best of drivers unless they’re aware of the dangers and take steps to head it off.
“Good driving requires your complete attention,” said Lou Gervino, Manager of Driver Education at Manitoba Public Insurance. “Be alert to the symptoms, and get off the road as quickly as it
is safely possible if you experience them.”
Lou offers some tips on staying alert:
| • | Plan for frequent stops – every two hours or so – on a long road trip. When you stop, have a cup of coffee or a caffeinated soft drink. Exercise. Take a catnap. | |
| • | Keep the vehicle cool, with plenty of fresh air. | |
| • | Don’t stare straight ahead. Check your mirrors. Read the road signs. Watch the traffic around you – other drivers may be feeling the effects of a long stretch behind the wheel. |
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| • | Don’t eat a big meal before |
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| • | Don’t drive during your normal sleeping hours. |
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| • | Don’t aim to drive too far in a single day. |
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| Highway hypnosis affects your awareness of your surroundings – including traffic. |
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