Staying awake

[renagade]

Hi Guy's
What do you all use to stay awake on a really long drive. Has you all know with the aid of a new credit card I am now able to do my trip down to Spain and around France next week.
Car been serviced and passed MOT with flying colours. ???????

[GiveMeABreak]

Frequent stops, 40 winks and coffee. Falling asleep at the wheel kills. I had a drive back from Manchester airport to Wales after a 13 hour flight from Mombasa and a flat battery in the XM after 2 weeks in the airport car park, needing the AA and a 4 hour wait for them! I nearly dozed off twice, so pulled over for a nap.

[Gibbo2286]

Marc's correct, frequent stops, the problem is you don't realise it's happening until it's happened.

I fell asleep on a convoy in the desert, we were driving blacked out, no lights at all, following the black shadow of the truck in front, eight hours at a steady 8 -10 mph can really put you to sleep, touched the swept sand at the side of the track, steering wheel snatched from hands and off the track I went.

No real problem in the desert except it was so dark I had to find the convoy again by ear, too dark to see.

[CitroJim]

If you feel the need to sleep then for goodness sakes just stop somewhere safe and sleep ASAP...

Don't try to fight it, especially not with chemicals...

Your body is telling you what it needs. Listen to it and obey it

[Zelandeth]

Simple answer is take frequent breaks. I never do more than 3-4 hours in a single stint without taking a breather.

If you're tired enough while driving to be wondering what to do to keep focused, you're well past the point where it's time that you pulled in somewhere for a break.

[xantia_v6]

Only long autoroute runs, I take a break every 2 hours, alternating 5 minute breaks with longer ones (to have something to eat). Only once did I have to stop at a services and have a sleep, and that was after a 8 stressful hours packing up a garage followed by an 8 hour drive, 6 hours into the drive I stopped for an hour's sleep.

You use a lot more mental energy driving in the dark and/or rain, so be prepared to take longer breaks.

[CitroJim]

Mike, good advice

You use a lot more mental energy driving in the dark and/or rain, so be prepared to take longer breaks.

You use a lot of mental energy just in normal driving; it's what's curtailed my ability to drive...

[Hell Razor5543]

If you FEEL tired you ARE tired. If you are not sure if you are tired assume (for the sake of safety) you are tired. As soon as you feel tired start looking for a place to pull over and nap.

[CitroJim]

If you FEEL tired you ARE tired. If you are not sure if you are tired assume (for the sake of safety) you are tired. As soon as you feel tired start looking for a place to pull over and nap.

Totally agreed James. LISTEN to what your body is trying to tell you and act on it...

[Peter.N.]

The short term answer is to set your aircon to blow cool air onto you face or open the window slightly.

Peter

[Stickyfinger]

I think amphetamines such as Speed, Wizz, Uppers, Blues and the like will work, admittedly you will be awake for the next 48 hours but hey !....you are home, just do some gardening at 3am .......

Avoid Cocaine, it will get you home in half the time but you will have visited a all nigh casino on the way home, and weed will make you stop at every MacDonald's.

[van ordinaire]

This ought to be my specialist subject, as got lots of pracise with those weekends in Zagreb - oh & going to the Swedish 2CV World Meeting (the '99/2000 14 countries in 14 days tour doesn't count, 'cos I stayed in a hotel/on a ferry every night).

Coffee, chocolate, coffee, Red Bull, coffee, Dextrose, coffee, caffeine tablets, coffee or any combination of any 3 or more (but not all 5 otherwise you really will not enjoy the first couple of days on arrival) + classic rock "driving" albums & open windows.

[CitroJim]

Avoid Cocaine, it will get you home in half the time but you will have visited a all nigh casino on the way home, and weed will make you stop at every MacDonald's.

Priceless advice Alasdair!

[Gibbo2286]

Avoid Cocaine, it will get you home in half the time but you will have visited a all nigh casino on the way home, and weed will make you stop at every MacDonald's.

Priceless advice Alasdair!

Talking from personal experience Alisdair?

[Stickyfinger]

I was young once