People who fall asleep for more than a few minutes are often aware of those lapses. Drivers may not be aware of shorter lapses and “microsleeps”, which can also have serious consequences when a quick reaction is needed to avoid a crash.
Most people are not aware of how drowsiness affects their driving performance, even without falling sleep. Studies suggest that people cannot reliably detect how sleepy they are.
Research has revealed a few indicators of drowsiness and drowsy driving which include:
- Frequent blinking, loner duration blinks and head nodding
- Having trouble keeping one’s eyes open and focused
- Memory lapses or daydreaming
- Drifting from one’s driving lane or of the road
