Sleep and Long Chases

[Paul Austin]

Do some research and look at traffic fatalities related to sleepy drivers.

I'm not trying to be a butthole but its something that needs to be said. If you know your to sleepy to be driving, pull over and get some rest.

And if your seeing things from lack of sleep and still driving, You need to be punched.

I don't know about the 11 hour limit, but I've gotta agree with the main point. I'm no better than anyone else. I've driven sleepier than was safe at the time, but I consider myself lucky to have survived and luckier still to have avoided taking someone else's life. I think it's wise to at least pull over and power nap for 15-45 min. or at least get out and walk around for a bit. I find that resets my vision and alertness after staring at the same lines and scenery for hours. Conversation, snacking, caffeine, physical activity are good for an hour or so, but I wouldn't rely on that for too much longer. I don't mean to be too preachy, but I think too many drivers think "I'll be ok, and if not, oh well..." without even considering others who share the same road.

Have fun and be safe out there.

You can slip into sort of an automatic driving mode after a while. It seems to be easiest on familiar roads, but can happen on long stretches of highway and such too. You're aware and driving, but other parts of your brain seem to go to sleep or are busy concentrating on other things - a daydream of sorts. Its very easy to drive right past your destination when this happens, and you'll usually have no memory of the drive when you snap out of it.

A friend of mine told me he once "woke up" on the interstate ramp after hours of non-stop driving - not the OFF-ramp, the ON-ramp. He had no memory of exiting the interstate in the first place and didn't even know where he currently was. Scary thought.

 

[Stephen Levine]

Have found this tread fascinating, and the original link to 60 minutes quite insightful and thought provoking.
Reading of all the ways that have been mentioned for staying awake brings to mind the hilarious "funnel funny" several years back in the hardcopy Storm Track that shows the storm chaser fellow getting a physical from a very perplexed doctor, and all the physical symptoms that he had as a result of his on the road storm warriorship.

In a more serious vein, and running the risk of reading a nasty response or two, I strongly believe in the power of intuition, that "still small voice within". I believe that before considering embarking on that very long return home after a long day of chasing, or continuing such a journey instead of checking into a motel, it's important to check in and listen for what intuition is telling you. I ask the question "what's the highest good for me to do in this situation" and if intuition tells me to stay put, so it is.
I have used this approach in the storm chases themselves as well as in the rest of my life.

 

[Simon Brewer]

Good ways to stay awake for long and short trips:

1. Stay away from sugar; sugar actually is a sedative and will make you sleepy, caffeine in chocolate and soda is the real reason you are more alert, but the sugar counteracts the caffeine and causes a 'crash' effect when the caffeine wears off. Instead of soda, juice, or flavored sports drinks just get water.

2. Don't eat a meal; eat small snacks with protein to boost your metabolism and your heart rate, like beef jerky and nuts. Most people end a chase and haven't eaten all day, so they find a place to get some dinner (I'm always tempted to eat a big meal from Taco Bell after a chase), but this is a horrible idea before a long drive home. With a full stomach the body sends lots of blood to the digestive system to process that big meal, which makes a person tired. It's a simple instinct most mammals have to conserve energy. Eat small snacks and stay somewhat 'hungry' and you are more alert. I eat a mix of 'Power Bars' and beef jerky.

3. Take deep breaths; when your sitting in a car seat your body is resting, so your body naturally starts slowly shutting down and your breathing becomes shallow, which leads to yawning, and your heart slows down. By taking deep and steady breaths you create and large flux of oxygen and your heart speeds up and you become more alert.

These steps can only take a person so far before giving in to a quick nap on the side of the road. Though falling asleep is definitely a 'huge' danger for chasers, I have to say hydroplaning is #1 in my book.

Simon

 

[Greg Campbell]

Many years ago I was driving N. from L.A., returning home after a late night concert. Somewhere around Ventura I started to doze off, mistakenly headed down an offramp, blew through a red-light underpass intersection, narrowly missed at least one car, and drove back onto the freeway. I was so tired that took several minutes for the "oh ****" shakes to set in. Despite being half asleep, the sound of screeching tires was indelibly etched into my pea brain. That one incident 'scared me straight' regarding long driving hours.

Nowadays, If I'm starting to get seriously sleepy, I'll either stop and rest or slug a gallon of coffee - even if it means sacrificing a decent night's sleep. IMO, there really aren't any other proven options. (The blazing blue lights do sound worth a try.)

 

[Cameron Redwine]

I must admit that I have been foolish in regard to sleep deprivation; many times. I agree with the others who say that this is one of the most significant threats facing chasers. I have been chasing, mostly on my own, for the last decade, and I can attest to the sleep deprivation factor. There have been several times when I should not have been driving, but did. Particularly, when I was younger. As other folks, such as Tony, have alluded to, the money was not there for over night stays, so I would often chase throughout the Plains and attempt to drive back to Colorado in one fell swoop.

Even recently, April 1 or 2, 2006 (Don't remember exactly). I drove from Fort Collins, Colorado to far southwestern Oklahoma, then back in about 24 hours. Looking back, I must have been insane. The truly scary part is that I don't really recall driving through New Mexico in between Texas and Colorado sometime in the middle of the night. In retrospect, it was an idiotic thing to do. I really don't know how I did it - I should not have.

I take road trips to see shows fairly often; you'd think I would have learned my lesson. I have now. It's funny; the 'risk' center of your brain really does develop the older you get. I am much more aware of my actions now, than I was even a few years ago. There is a lot growing up that happens between your early and mid-twenties.

I would suggest not risking it, and erring on the side of caution. While it seems like common sense, even smart people risk it. When I was twenty years old and about fifteen miles from home on I-25, I had to pull over to sleep. I was awakened by a Colorado State Trooper, who asked what was up. I guess he was glad that I had stopped on the side of the road, but probably thought that I was an idiot for not just grabbing a hotel several hours earlier.

Be careful folks; I speak from experience. There will always be more storms; it's just not worth the risk to push the limit.

 

[Ross Kimes]

My sleeping problem come in between storms. On February 5th, we were leaving Memphis at about 8:30 (after driving since 5:00 that morning) and would get a little doozy on the road. As soon as we reached another storm, I was wide awake. As soon as we left the storm an got back on the road home, I was almost instantly tired again, so I just made my friend drive until he started complaining about the little green men on the road. Still have not figured out if he was serious about that or not.

 

[Steve Miller]

After reading this all I can say is I'm glad we are all generally driving in the same direction; to the storm early in the day and away from the storms at night. This means all the tired drivers will at least be driving in the same lane as me and not in oncoming traffic with the potential to run in to me head-on.

 

[Gerard Jebaily]

Remember that our brains and bodies are much more fatigued after a chase because of how active they had to be during the chase day. So quality and quantity of sleep before and after a chase can make quite a difference. I always like to have someone to trade off driving on a chase day if needed.

 

[Charles Kuster]

I have not had a lot experiences with drowsy driving luckily. The worst one I can think of is when we were in the car for 26 hours, and most of it was driving. We were in the eastern Texas panhandle that night, and had to get back to Leadville by 1pm the next day, so I drove all night. I was pretty tired by 7am and was starting to lose my vision, so I told my dad that he had to drive now.

For me I have found that listening to music works the best to keep me awake. I turned the music on at about 11:30pm and it really helped me to stay awake.

 

[Jason Foster]

Police wake up call.

.....on I-25, I had to pull over to sleep. I was awakened by a Colorado State Trooper, who asked what was up. I guess he was glad that I had stopped on the side of the road, but probably thought that I was an idiot for not just grabbing a hotel several hours earlier.

I can't tell you how many time this has happened. Especially when I chase here on the east coast. I sometime follow storms from way north of DC, all the way across the Chesapeake Bay. No easy feat on the east coast. And usually that means I finish a chase at 2am. Like I said in my early post, I just get so tired, my body just shuts down. But the cops are always friendly and sometimes will swing around again to make sure I'm still doing OK.

Of course it would figure that I once came across a cop sleeping in his car...boy was that freaky (wasn't sure if he was OK at first).

But all this talk has got me convinced that this year, it's off to bed right away and plenty of sleep.

 

[Dan Dawson]

On Feb 5t when coming back from Memphis to Montreal in Canada we found out that I-40 East of Nashville is one of the worst highway for a drive at night. Finally decided we would sleep at Knoxville and boy the last miles appeared to be so long.

I know what you mean about that stretch of highway. In 2003, I and two others were driving one of the DOW's back from the NC coast after intercepting hurricane Isabel. We were already sleep deprived due to the storm, and we were taking turns driving back on I-40 to Norman. It was mostly my turn at the wheel through most of TN, and I think that at times the only thing keeping me awake was this crazy trucker who would not leave us alone for something like 3 hours. What I mean is he would follow us at a distance, start to speed up behind us, at which point I would move over into the right lane to let him pass. He would blast on by, and I thought that was the end of it, but several miles later he would slow down and I would come up behind him again and pass him. This went on for several cycles, and it was really starting to freak me out. Finally, I got to a point where I was getting too tired and we stopped to switch drivers. Fortunately the trucker kept on going.

To this day I still can't decide whether he was just genuinely curious in the DOW, or if he was just playing games for some other strange reason, or if it was all just entirely coincidence that my sleep-deprived mind magnified into some "Joyride" scenario (apologies to anyone who hasn't seen the movie). At any rate, it sure kept me awake, and, come to think of it, maybe that was entirely his idea as well.

 

[Bill Tabor]

Let me add my brother in law was in a rural Tx area on a highway in his large duelly truck pulling a plow on a trailer behind going 60mph. He was struck from behind by an 18 wheeler where the driver had fallen asleep who was travelling 80mph. Somehow this cause my BIL's truck to roll, and the passenger side got crushed. Fortunately no passengers. My BIL was fine with a few scratches. Whew!

My Mom also mentioned an old (about 80) farmer type in west Tx near where they lived who was travelling along a rural road. A car came up fast struck him and rolled his vehicle into a plowed field. The old guy wasn't wearing belts. Someone pulled him from the cab from upside down. He was ok also. The young kid that struck him had been putting in a lot of hours at work and had fallen asleep at the wheel.

Moral or the story...keep a close any on what is going on behind you and be prepared to take evasive action if necessary.