Microspray . A phenomenon lasting roughly 3 to 15 seconds, during which one does not perceive any external stimulus, is not as thin as it is generally judged. According to the British Ministry of Transport, it accounts for up to 20% of traffic accidents occurring during a dull ride on main roads. It's no wonder. Alarming 45% of drivers and 22% of drivers admitted that they had sometimes fallen asleep behind the wheel.
The microwave does not usually go out of the clear sky. Before his onset, drivers experience increased fatigue and even drowsiness, have trouble concentrating attention. Their eyelids are falling, drivers start losing touch with reality. They respond to external stimuli in a slow, worse way to process the information they need, less focused on more complex traffic situations. Unfortunately, these warning signs do not deter a number of drivers from driving further. According to the German Road Safety Council (DVR), 45 percent of drivers are convinced that they are able to cope with the symptoms of fatigue while driving, with 43 percent sure that they will safely recognize the moment when they could struggle to sleep. And a mere 17 percent continues to drive despite the feeling of heavy fatigue.
When and to whom is there an increased threat of micro-sleep?
Abnormal risk of fatigue from a microscope is at risk from the second to the fifth hour. But asleep behind the wheel can surprise even during the day, most often between the thirteenth and fifteenth hour. Careful attention should be given to young people under the age of 25, those suffering from sleep disorders or shift workers. Fatigue, however, is also experienced by experienced drivers by professionals. Warns are also the holiday drivers who travel on a multi-million-kilometer journey. And those who suffer from insomnia or illness called chronic sleep apnea must also be alert. The long hours spent behind the wheel are really tiresome. "According to Dekra, the four-hour ride without interruption extends driver's reaction times by as much as 50 percent, and twice the risk of being involved in a traffic accident. However, after a six-hour driving marathon, this risk is up to 8x. The feeling of absolute safety for tired drivers is fake especially on motorways. According to the French Prévention Routière Association, they are responsible for every third tragic accident, " says Roman Budsky of the Road Safety Team.
During the micro-sleep, the unmanned vehicle can travel hundreds of meters
"Spinning behind the wheel for 3 seconds at 90 km / h means that the vehicle is driving without a driver 75 meters. During them, they can turn to the opposite direction, where the opposing driver will not have much chance to prevent the heavy clash. Likewise, the unmanned vehicle can be directed to the right, leaving the road at full speed will definitely not stay for the crew without serious consequences, " warns Petr Vomacek from ÚAMK. Not to mention the risk of a clash with a tree or other fixed obstacle. But sleep can be fatal even on the highway. Within 15 seconds at a speed of 130 km / h, an unmanned vehicle stunning 540 meters will pass.
Prevention of microbe growth
"Motorists should keep track of themselves all the time. The reason is quite prosaic - to register the warning signs listed above in good time. The basis is to use the wheel for both the mental and physical fit, to make regular breaks and to alternate when driving, " says Petr Vomáčka. "It certainly does not merit hoping that the microswitch will be taken as a mitigating circumstance in the event of an accident. On the contrary. Courts are based on the correct assumption that the onset of fatigue is capable of recognizing and recognizing in time any driver. The problem should also be those who suffer from insomnia or who have been diagnosed with chronic sleep apnea, " concludes Roman Budsky.
Source: tz Road Safety Team, edited editorially