Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General A word to the unwary

Virginia has completed the installation of milled shoulders on most rural interstates. This is some stuff that makes the whole car vibrate when you drive over it, for the purpose of waking drivers up.

Brian

My buddy fell asleep at the wheel. He was in his probe. He shaved the side of a cherokee and then ramped a Dodge Stratus. He flipped it and woke up. All he could hear was GodSmack playin in the background. Scary stuff.
><>David<><

i'm usually not tired when driving - i mean, even though i may be exhausted, i am usually pretty live when driving....although there is one trick that never fails for me anyway..

when i feel myself get tired, i take a stick of Winterfresh gum and chew away.

I think it's the fresh taste or the sugar that gets me, but that has worked for me everytime!

also, i'm very glad you got out of that situation the way you did.

drive safe!

I have 2 tricks for fighting nodding off at the wheel on long drives (I do 600 miles at least 4 times a year):

- Drink a steady intake of caffeine throughout the drive. Start early, well before you feel tired. If you feel tired, it is too late to start. I prefer Mt. Dew.

- If you feel tired (like starting to nod off), pull over at a rest stop or exit, and take a 15 minute power nap. Then get out, walk around, get the blood flowing, and begin intake of caffeine again.

When I was 16, I "blinked" and realized that I had moved from the right lane to the left lane. Scary. I pulled off and got some coffee and the adrenaline from that kept me awake the rest of my trip.

Studies have been done that prove that no amount of loud music or cold air will make a tired person more awake.

i hear ya... ive had a similar experience.... just driving about 15 miles home, and i have no recollection of at least five miles of it.... i was driving along the freeway and when i woke up i looked at my speedo it read 85 i was vering into the lane on my left... then i look in my rear view mirror to see a police car passing me.... i must be a pretty good driver when fast asleep huh? never again..... if im too tired i dont drive anymore..... (another thing that does not work is trying to get home fast before you get sleep.... got an effing ticket for that one )

yeah waking up to THAT noise and that feeling is horrifying.... literally horrifying... cause in that half awake state you dont know what the hell is going on... pumped me so full of adrenaline i could make it to the next motel...(this was prior to the affor mentioned incedent....

dude glad u are okay as well as your ride...back in 88 when i was 19 i wasn't so fortunate....i had worked a full day (it was friday)...got off work paid my car note on my 5 months owned rabbit gti (my pride n joy) and later that nite went out partying with friends....being young and dumb i didn't know when to bring my ass home and was on the road at 4am sat. morning...having been up since 630 am the morning before....

anyway i fell asleep at the wheel and woke up to a big thud...hoped i was dreaming but realized i wasn't once i looked around and realized i was still in the car...my crumpled hood was all i could see out the windshield...i had to force the drivers door open to get out and then i saw what i'd done.....totalled my rabbit hitting the back end of a 73 mustang totalling that as well....really bad scene...2 totalled cars had to pay for the mustang since i didn't have coverage plus other ****...and yes i was dwi so that was a whole mess unto itself....i think the biggest factor though was that i was awake for 22hrs before the crash

fast forward several months later and im now in my gti 16 coming from mexico with friends...5am and everyone falls asleep including my buddy who was specifically spose to stay awake with me....long story short at one point i felt my car hit the lane bumps and it scared me to death ...apparently i had started drifting off again (not drunk this time at least)...from that point for the rest of the drive i was bright eyed and bushy tailed