Roadwise States Louisiana Driving lessons Driver fatigue & trip planning Louisiana driving lesson · Distraction, Fatigue & Emergencies
Driver fatigue & trip planning A 3-minute lesson from the Louisiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Distraction, Fatigue & Emergencies
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 61, 62, 115, 116 Fatigue impairs your vision and judgment much like alcohol: slower reactions, lost concentration, even dozing off. Plan trips with rest built in, and stop before you're exhausted.
Know the rule
Rest every two hours, and don't drive longer than six to eight hours a day.
Handbook p. 61 ↗ Highway hypnosis Boredom on long trips dulls your senses: your eyes become fixed on the road and you're no longer alert to traffic around you.
Handbook p. 61 ↗ Staying alert on long trips: Start well rested; avoid drugs that make you drowsy Avoid driving late at night when you're normally asleep Take regular rest stops, even if you aren't tired Keep your eyes moving: near and far, left and right Open a window for fresh air and keep the car cool Handbook p. 61 ↗ Know the rule
If nothing helps you stay awake, get off the highway and take a short nap.
Handbook p. 62 ↗ A typical drowsy-driving crash: Happens late at night or early in the morning Is serious and involves a single vehicle leaving the road Happens on a high-speed road The driver makes no attempt to avoid it and is alone Handbook p. 62 ↗ Warning signs you're drowsy: You can't recall the last few miles Your head feels heavy; you can't focus or keep your eyes open You miss traffic signs or drift from your lane You yawn repeatedly or tailgate Your thoughts wander Handbook p. 62 ↗ Know the rule
Switch drivers or stop to stretch every two hours, even if you don't feel tired, and try to limit driving between midnight and 6 a.m. Young males 16 to 29 and shift workers face higher risk.
Handbook p. 62 ↗ Know the rule
On major highways, plan on about 100 to 110 miles every two hours, with 10 to 15 minute breaks every 2 to 3 hours and 1-hour meal stops.
Handbook p. 115 ↗ Know the rule
Before a trip, check windows, lights, tires, fluids, belts, hoses and brakes, and get a good night's sleep.
Handbook p. 115 ↗ Take on every trip: An extra set of keys Insurance information Money for expected and unexpected costs The vehicle owner's manual Maps of local areas Handbook p. 116 ↗ Put it into practice
You're driving alone from Shreveport to New Orleans after a full workday. Plan a stop every two hours. If you catch yourself yawning repeatedly or drifting in your lane, pull off and take a short nap.
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.
How often should a driver rest during a long drive? Every two hours Every 30 minutes Every six hours Only when they feel tired Answer: Every two hours
The handbook recommends resting every two hours during extended driving.
Handbook p. 61 ↗ What is the maximum recommended driving time in a single day? Two to three hours Six to eight hours Twelve to fourteen hours Ten to eleven hours Answer: Six to eight hours
Drivers should not push themselves beyond six to eight hours of driving in a day.
Handbook p. 61 ↗ About how many crashes are caused by drowsy driving each year, according to the handbook? About 500 About 5,000 More than 56,000 About 500,000 Answer: More than 56,000
The handbook cites more than 56,000 drowsy-driving crashes annually.
Handbook p. 62 ↗ Which of these is listed as a warning sign of drowsy driving? Braking early for stops Driving slightly under the limit Checking your mirrors often Drifting from your lane Answer: Drifting from your lane
Lane drifting is one of the specific warning signs of drowsy driving listed in the handbook.
Handbook p. 62 ↗ What is 'highway hypnosis'? Dulled senses from a long, boring drive Dizziness from carbon monoxide Blindness from oncoming glare Drowsiness from allergy medicine Answer: Dulled senses from a long, boring drive
Highway hypnosis happens when your senses dull from a monotonous long trip, especially on interstates.
Handbook p. 61 ↗ If you feel your fatigue is too severe to continue safely and nothing else helps, what should you do? Turn up loud music and push through Get off the highway and take a short nap Drink a large coffee and keep going Roll down all the windows and continue at normal speed Answer: Get off the highway and take a short nap
The handbook's final recommendation for severe fatigue is to pull off and nap rather than push through.
Handbook p. 62 ↗ Previous lesson Teen drivers & peer pressure Next lesson Emotions, aggressive driving & road rage More in Distraction, Fatigue & Emergencies About the source Roadwise’s Louisiana course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 61, 62, 115, 116. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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