Sleep... A lot of us discount it until we're short on it. Many of us drive when we've been running on not enough sleep, or just having been a while since we last slept. I was reminded of why it's not wise to drive when tired. I had been up 22 hours without sleep, and was on the drive home from Daytona. 42 mile drive for me on the interstate. I set the cruise control at 75, (5 over) and was trying to stay focused on a white SHO Taurus ahead of me. About halfway home, I could tell I was just too tired. Kept nodding off and drifting off the roadway. I knew I wasn't going to make it the distance. I cranked up the music, opened a coke, and was just looking for the rest stop I know is on the road. I didn't make it to the rest stop. I dozed off, and awke to find myself entering the median. I was halfway in, just drifting into it. I pulled the wheel back right, and the rear end caught as I was getting back onto the roadway. Rear end started to slide out, and I found myself sliding down the roadway, driver side first, facing the trees on the righthand side of the road. They're a ways off the road, but trees aren't forgiving. I actually said, "Oh no you don't, No going into the trees" to... myself, my car?... Stomped on the brake, and cut the wheel back to the left, delibrately swinging the rear end back around so I was facing the median. I cut the wheel again to prevent a dizzying spin that would have probably flipped even the relatively low and wide Eldorado. Slid with the passenger side leading down the road some more, and the rear end finally took the lead, and I slid to a screeching halt just into the median, facing the oncoming traffic. (Luckily there wasn't any for a mile) I sat for a second in my spun out car, and regathered my wits, waited for the inital adrenaline rush to wear off. Got out, checked the car over quickly, to see if I had any damage to the car from the spin that I didn't notice, or if a tire had given under the abuse. Everything checked out under my inital check, so I got back into my car, turned it around, and went to the next exit for a slightly more detailed examination of my car. Pulled into a gas station (closed) and made another check of the car. I then got back into the car, and drove the last exit home, now wide awake with adrenaline keeping me very awake.
A lesson to everyone, driving tired is sometimes necessary, but if you even begin to feel yourself nodding off, get off the roadways as quickly as possible. Pull into a gas station and either try and wake yourself up with a cup of stale coffee, or just lie the seat back, crack the window, and sleep there. Don't push it or hope for the best. Use your brain, a spinout or sleeping at the wheel is not safe driving, and could have easily been fatal for me last night. Don't become a statistic of "Driver falls asleep at wheel, and dies in crash" Get enough sleep.
Yes, I know, a word of caution from me... Feel free to laugh, but drive smart, even if aggressive.
