The Dangerous Sleeping Period for Drivers | Microsleeping

 

It is common for traffic accidents to occur around us. In many cases, victims lose property and are injured, even losing their lives because of a traffic accident. There are several factors contributing to traffic accidents such as human error, environmental factors, and road conditions. On the other hand, the number of accidents has been a factor in the mortality rate. Then, the factor that contributes to the high number of accidents is the negligence of the driver.

One fatal thing that is often overlooked by drivers is the presence of Microsleep. Microsleep is a brief sleep session lasting no more than 30 seconds. Many drivers find themselves experiencing Microsleep without realizing it because their brains remember their sleep sessions only after a break of at least one minute. The tendency to microsleep occurs when someone is doing monotonous work, such as driving for extended periods.

Microsleep commonly affects sleep-deprived or fatigued drivers. When drivers force themselves to remain awake, they usually experience Microsleep several times in the next few minutes. During that time, many things can happen. As an example, a car can change lanes without realizing it. In the worst case, it can cause a fatal accident.

As opposed to drowsiness, drowsiness causes the drivers to have slow responses, speed, and reflexes. Thus, the impact of drowsiness is less severe than with Microsleep. In order to prevent Microsleep, drivers should rest properly before they went on driving for extended periods. During a long journey, drivers get used to sleeping for a couple of hours before driving and resting periodically. Besides, if the drivers experience aches and yawns frequently, it is time to stop and rest with stretching of the hand and foot muscles.

In conclusion, Microsleep poses a serious danger to drivers. Considering the large increase in traffic-related deaths in Indonesia, this needs special attention. The situation is particularly critical for highway users. The drivers must be prepared for driving long distances by self-care, vehicle feasibility, obeying traffic signs, and maintaining the speedometer to avoid exceeding the average maximum speed limit because this can increase fatalities in accidents.