Why you don't drive sleepy!

This is a car that had an accident right in front of me this morning. I was going north on US 75/69 north of Sherman, TX, when I came up behind this car. I was about 150 feet back when it started to change lanes to the left. I thought maybe it was pulling over to let me pass it (people do that sometimes). However, when it kept drifting to the right, I got worried and sounded my air horn. No response. It drifted to the outside of the left lane, and onto the rumble strips. The driver jerked the steering wheel to the right, overcorrected, lost control, and went broadside into the energy-absorbing guard rail, then rolled over. I stopped as soon as I could and ran back, but other people (including some nurses) were already helping the elderly lady, who admitted she probably went to sleep. I don't think her injuries were life-threatening, but it didn't make my day any better!

yikes, too scary!
I never could understand why people dont pull over when they start to feel tired.
Thank goodness she wasnt hurt too badly!

Yikes!!

When my sis come to visit its a 17 hr drive that she likes starting early evening. She will drive to about midnight-1 am then find a rest stop and pull over and sleep in the vehicle for a few hours rather than push on when tired.

Even truckers, professional drivers, are only allowed to drive 11 hours before they take a 10-hour break.

One of the teachers at our local school left after school one day to drive home to visit his parents in Illinois. He got just a few miles from their house and ran into the back of a truck. He was warned not to to drive straight through like that, but you can't tell anybody anything.

Very glad she made it... and glad no other vehicles got involved.

My brother does night photography, so he often drives home from locations in the dead of night. I can't get him to stay in hotels (too expensive) after most of his shoots, but I do have him trained to call me up, even if it's 3:00 in the morning, and let me keep him talking so he won't fall asleep on the way home. It works!

Yikes, that's scarey...glad the old girl was okay!!!

It she was elderly, maybe it was a new medication that basically "kicked her in the butt". I'm glad her injuries aren't life threatening. But, that had to have been scary for you following her. That's why I HATE driving on the interstate. I know I can drive...it's the other people I don't know about!

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Even truckers, professional drivers, are only allowed to drive 11 hours before they take a 10-hour break.

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The decent companies do this. Too often some resort to meth or just drive sleepy - then they're not very aware of their surroundings and run people off the roads. My husband and I had a close call not to long ago - the trucker changed lanes without checking. We were not in his blind spot.


As for other sleepy drivers - December 14th 1999 my uncle was killed in a head on collision because the driver in the oncoming lane fell asleep. He and I had just done some Christmas shopping the night before, he was actually looking forward to that Christmas...
The other guy was driving a large company pickup truck and only had minor injuries.

why not to drive sleeply

cause a gf of 5 years drove into the back of the truck, and killed herself, cause she wanted more money so she took 2 full times jobs.

My coworker just returned to work after being out on medical leave for several months due to a car accident. She had fallen asleep at the wheel. She still has a back brace, and has not returned to work full time (she's working 9-4 with a lunch break at this time). It won't be until October until she's full time again (8-5 with lunch).

Her accident was in May.

Very scary!

I have driven when I was sleepy before, but never when I was so tired that I was in danger of actually falling asleep.

Originally Posted by AlleyGirl

I have driven when I was sleepy before, but never when I was so tired that I was in danger of actually falling asleep.

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The danger isn't just falling asleep, when you're tired your reactions time and judgments are not as good. It's basically like driving drunk. In some states, if there's an accident from it, the resulting charges are the same as if the driver was under the influence.

I believe there needs to be more awareness of how serious this is.