Roadwise States Maine Driving lessons Vision, hearing and fatigue Maine driving lesson · Fit to Drive: Fatigue, Distraction, and Alcohol
Vision, hearing and fatigue A 4-minute lesson from the Maine course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 4 minutes
Course unit Fit to Drive: Fatigue, Distraction, and Alcohol
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 23, 24, 25 Most of what you do behind the wheel depends on what you see and hear, and on being awake enough to react. A tired driver thinks slower, reacts slower and can fall asleep without warning.
Know the rule
You must be able to see clearly and read traffic signs from a distance. Have your eyes checked every year or two, and don't wear sunglasses or tinted glasses at night.
Handbook p. 23 ↗ Good eyesight for driving means: Seeing clearly, so you can judge distances and spot trouble Good side vision, to catch vehicles coming up on either side Judging distance: you can see clearly and still misjudge how far away things are Good night vision: some people struggle in dim light or with headlight glare Handbook p. 23 ↗ Know the rule
Hearing warns you of horns, sirens and screeching tires. Keep the radio down and don't wear headsets or ear buds while driving.
Handbook p. 23 ↗ Fatigue Being physically or mentally tired, caused by physical or mental strain, illness or lack of sleep. It slows your decisions and reactions.
Handbook p. 23 ↗ 240,000 Crashes a year NHTSA estimates are related to sleepiness; 25% of surveyed drivers had fallen asleep driving
Handbook p. 24 ↗ Micro-sleep A brief nap of only four to five seconds that a drowsy driver may not even notice. At 55 mph it can be fatal.
Handbook p. 24 ↗ Know the rule
Sleep is not voluntary. Caffeine, loud music or cracking the window won't hold it off; only more sleep erases a "sleep debt."
Handbook p. 24 ↗ Know the rule
Most people need between 6 and 10 hours of sleep. An estimated 30% to 50% of people don't get the sleep their bodies require.
Handbook p. 24 ↗ Give it a rest: Get plenty of sleep the night before a trip and drive only when you're normally awake Avoid your body's "downtime": find a safe place to sleep between midnight and 6 a.m. Talk with a passenger and trade off driving; a driver who needs rest naps in the back seat, buckled Schedule a break every two hours or 100 miles; take a 15- to 20-minute refresher nap if needed Check medicine labels for drowsiness; don't drink or use other drugs and drive Handbook p. 24 ↗ Danger signs of drowsiness: You must make a conscious effort to keep your eyes open You want to prop your head up You can't stop yawning You don't remember driving the last few miles You keep drifting from your lane You have wandering, disconnected thoughts Handbook p. 25 ↗ Know the rule
If you have even one of these symptoms, pull off the road, find a safe place and take a short nap. The best way to avoid fatigue is plenty of rest.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Put it into practice
Two hours into a night drive you catch yourself drifting over the lane line and can't recall the last exit. Turning up the radio won't fix it. Pull off at a safe place and take a 15- to 20-minute nap, or let your rested passenger drive.
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.
About how long can a dangerous 'micro-sleep' last behind the wheel without the driver realizing it? 10 to 12 seconds 20 to 30 seconds 1 to 2 seconds 4 to 5 seconds Answer: 4 to 5 seconds
Micro-sleeps can last only four to five seconds but can be fatal at highway speed.
Handbook p. 24 ↗ According to the handbook, roughly what share of drivers surveyed reported having fallen asleep while driving? 5% 15% 40% 25% Answer: 25%
The survey found 25% of drivers reported having fallen asleep while driving.
Handbook p. 24 ↗ What should you do at the first sign of drowsiness while driving? Drink coffee and keep driving Roll down the window briefly Pull off the road and rest Turn up the radio and continue Answer: Pull off the road and rest
At the first sign of drowsiness, you should pull off the road and find a safe place to rest.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Which of these is listed as a danger sign of drowsiness? Your eyes water in headlight glare You feel anxious in heavy traffic You keep drifting from your lane You feel thirsty Answer: You keep drifting from your lane
Drifting from your lane is one of the listed danger signs of drowsiness.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Cracking the window for fresh air is an effective way to keep yourself from falling asleep while driving. True False Answer: False
The handbook states you cannot fight off drowsiness with fresh air, loud music, or caffeine.
Handbook p. 24 ↗ About what share of people say they aren't getting the amount of sleep their bodies require, per the handbook? 10% to 20% 80% to 90% 60% to 70% 30% to 50% Answer: 30% to 50%
The handbook estimates 30% to 50% of people aren't getting the sleep their bodies require.
Handbook p. 24 ↗ Previous lesson Maintenance, emergency supplies and noise limits Next lesson Distractions, cell phones and aggressive driving More in Fit to Drive: Fatigue, Distraction, and Alcohol About the source Roadwise’s Maine course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 23, 24, 25. 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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