During these last few weeks of summer, your PA auto dealers want you to get home from your last vacation safely. But that doesn’t mean to hurry home and drive too much without proper rest. That’s just unsafe for you, your passengers and everybody else on the road. In addition to being unsafe, it’s also irresponsible and unnecessary.
Did you know that driving without sleeping is equivalent to driving while under the influence of alcohol? It’s true. Studies have shown that if you go for 17 hours without getting any sleep, your impairment is equivalent to that of a .05 percent blood alcohol level. If you go for 24 hours without sleeping, it’s equal to 0.1 percent blood alcohol level. I think that level is illegal in nearly every state in the country, if not all 50 states.
Most “sleep crashes” occur during the late nighttime/early morning hours. Luckily, there are some things you can do to recognize your fatigue before you become too impaired. They are:
• If you unable to recall the last few miles of driving
• If you feel disconnected or your mind tends to wander
• If you have difficulty keeping your eyes open or focusing on the road
• If you feel like your head is very heavy
• If you keep drifting out of your lane or miss traffic signs
I’m sure all of us have done one or more of these at one time in our life. But your PA auto dealers urge you to stay safe and pull over for a few hours or for the night if you feel like this. Visit a local Pontiac dealer for the latest innovations in safety and enjoy these last few weeks of warm weather.