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Maryland driving lesson · Dangerous Driving Behaviors

Drowsy driving

A 2-minute lesson from the Maryland 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
2 minutes
Course unit
Dangerous Driving Behaviors
Checkpoint questions
5
Source pages
35

Sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness and impairs judgment, just like drugs or alcohol, and it can significantly raise your crash risk. Learn the warning signs and act on them.

Know the rule

Sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, and impairs judgment, just like drugs or alcohol.

Handbook p. 35 ↗

Drivers at higher risk of drowsiness:

  • People who drive many miles each day
  • People with sleep disorders
  • People taking certain medications
Handbook p. 35 ↗

Danger signs you may be drowsy:

  • Your eyes close or go out of focus
  • Trouble keeping your head up
  • You can't stop yawning
  • Wandering, disconnected thoughts
  • You don't remember driving the last few miles
  • You missed your exit
  • You keep drifting out of your lane
  • You keep changing your speed
Handbook p. 35 ↗

Know the rule

If you become tired or sleepy while driving, it is best to rest or change drivers.

Handbook p. 35 ↗

Know the rule

Being tired dulls your mind and slows your reactions, making driving very dangerous.

Handbook p. 35 ↗

Put it into practice

Two hours into a night drive you realize you can't remember the last few miles and just missed your exit. Those are danger signs: find a safe place to rest or hand the wheel to another driver.

Put it into practice

A friend with a sleep disorder offers to drive the late shift of a long trip. That's a higher-risk driver. Plan rest stops and swap drivers before anyone gets drowsy.

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 does drowsiness affect your driving ability, according to the handbook?
  1. It only affects your mood, not your driving
  2. It has no measurable effect on safety
  3. It only matters on long highway trips
  4. Slows reactions and impairs judgment

Answer: Slows reactions and impairs judgment

Sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, and impairs judgment, just like drugs or alcohol.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
Which of these is listed as a danger sign of drowsy driving?
  1. You keep driving out of your lane
  2. You check your mirrors often
  3. You are listening to loud music
  4. You are driving faster than the speed limit

Answer: You keep driving out of your lane

Drifting out of your lane is listed as a danger sign that you may be drowsy.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
What is the best action to take if you become drowsy while driving?
  1. Open the window and keep driving
  2. Rest or change drivers
  3. Turn up the radio and continue
  4. Speed up to reach your destination faster

Answer: Rest or change drivers

If you become tired or sleepy while driving, it is best to rest or change drivers.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
Which group does the handbook identify as having a higher risk of drowsy driving?
  1. People who drive only in the daytime
  2. Drivers of older vehicles
  3. People who drive many miles each day or have sleep disorders
  4. People who drive on rural roads only

Answer: People who drive many miles each day or have sleep disorders

People who drive many miles daily, those with sleep disorders, and those on certain medications have a higher drowsiness risk.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
Not remembering driving the last few miles is listed as a danger sign of drowsy driving.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Not remembering the last few miles driven is one of the listed drowsy driving danger signs.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
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