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Alabama driving lesson · The Driver

Attitude, concentration and fatigue

A 3-minute lesson from the Alabama course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
The Driver
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
33, 34

Most crashes come down to the driver, not the car or the road. Your mood, your focus and how rested you are all change how safely you drive.

Over 90%

Highway crashes caused by driver error, lack of knowledge, inattention, physical or mental condition, improper attitude or faulty judgment

Handbook p. 33 ↗

These can make you temporarily accident-prone:

  • Home troubles, quarrels and misunderstandings
  • Financial worries
  • Serious illness in the family
  • Personal fears
  • Over-confidence
  • Strong emotions such as anger or grief
Handbook p. 33 ↗

Know the rule

If you're worried, ill, nervous, frightened, angry or depressed, let someone else drive. After a violent argument, or when angry or grieving, take time to cool off before driving.

Handbook p. 33 ↗

Know the rule

Concentration is one of the most important elements of safe driving. The driver's seat is no place for daydreaming, mental napping, window shopping, scenic viewing or distracting conversation.

Handbook p. 33 ↗

Know the rule

Stop driving when you feel drowsy; don't fight it. Pull off at the first rest stop or service area. If you're really sleepy, get off the highway and take a nap.

Handbook p. 34 ↗

Know the rule

Don't rely on "stay-awake drugs". They're likely to make your driving even more hazardous.

Handbook p. 34 ↗
100 miles / 2 hours

Take a regular break every 100 miles or every two hours

Handbook p. 34 ↗

Highway hypnosis

Drowsiness or unawareness brought on by monotony: the sound of the wind, the tires on the pavement and the steady hum of the engine.

Handbook p. 34 ↗

To stay alert on long drives:

  • Take a pre-trip nap before a long trip
  • At breaks, get out of the car, walk around and stretch your legs
  • Shift your eyes among areas of the road; focus near and far, left and right
  • Read highway signs
  • If just tired, a cup of coffee and a bit of stretching may be enough
Handbook p. 34 ↗

Know the rule

Physical condition matters: alcohol, drugs, illness or disability may cause or contribute to crashes.

Handbook p. 34 ↗

Put it into practice

Two hours into an interstate drive, you catch yourself yawning and drifting. Pull off at the first rest stop. If a walk and a coffee don't fix it, take a nap before going on. Don't reach for stay-awake pills.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

Accident records show about what percentage of highway crashes are caused by driver error, inattention, or faulty judgment?
  1. Over 90 percent
  2. About 25 percent
  3. About 10 percent
  4. About 50 percent

Answer: Over 90 percent

Accident records show that over 90 percent of highway crashes are caused by driver error, inattention, or faulty judgment.

Handbook p. 33 ↗
What does the handbook recommend if you're worried, angry, or grieving before you drive?
  1. Drive only on familiar roads
  2. Let someone else drive or cool off first
  3. Turn on music to calm down
  4. Drive slower than usual

Answer: Let someone else drive or cool off first

Strong emotions make you temporarily accident-prone; the handbook advises taking time to cool off or letting someone else drive.

Handbook p. 33 ↗
How often does the handbook recommend taking a break on a long highway trip to fight highway hypnosis and fatigue?
  1. Every 500 miles
  2. Every 30 minutes
  3. Every 100 miles or two hours
  4. Every 200 miles or four hours

Answer: Every 100 miles or two hours

The handbook advises taking regular breaks every 100 miles or every two hours on long trips.

Handbook p. 34 ↗
“Highway hypnosis” is best described as what?
  1. Temporary blindness from headlight glare
  2. Drowsiness caused by alcohol or cold pills
  3. Tunnel vision from driving too fast
  4. Drowsiness caused by monotonous expressway driving

Answer: Drowsiness caused by monotonous expressway driving

Highway hypnosis is a condition of drowsiness or unawareness caused by the steady hum, wind, and monotony of expressway driving.

Handbook p. 34 ↗
What is the safest thing to do if you feel drowsy while driving?
  1. Pull off at the first rest stop
  2. Turn up the radio and continue
  3. Take a stay-awake drug
  4. Open a window and keep going

Answer: Pull off at the first rest stop

The handbook advises stopping at the first rest stop or service area rather than fighting drowsiness.

Handbook p. 34 ↗
The handbook warns against relying on “stay-awake drugs” to fight drowsiness while driving.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

The handbook says not to rely on stay-awake drugs, since they can make driving even more hazardous.

Handbook p. 34 ↗
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