Commercial Driver Handbook ( PDF ) - California Department of ...

the-counter drugs (cold or allergy medicines) which
may make the driver drowsy or otherwise affect
safe driving ability. However, possession and use
of any medication given to a driver by a physician
is permitted if the physician advises the driver that
the medicine will not affect safe driving ability.
Pay attention to warning labels of legitimate drugs
and medicines and to your physician’s orders
regarding possible side effects. Stay away from
illegal drugs. Do not use any substance that hides
fatigue–the only cure for fatigue is rest. Alcohol
can make the effects of the drugs much worse.
The safest rule is do not mix drugs with driving.
Use of drugs can lead to traffic collisions resulting
in death, injury, and property damage. Furthermore,
it can lead to arrest, fines, and jail sentences. It may
also mean the end of a person’s driving career.
Be ready to drive
get enough sleep. Sleep is not like money. You
can’t save it up ahead of time and you can’t borrow
it. But, just as with money, you can go into debt
with it. If you don’t sleep enough, you “owe”
more sleep to yourself. This sleep debt can only
be paid off by sleeping. You can’t overcome it
with willpower, and it won’t go away by itself.
The average person needs seven or eight hours of
sleep every 24 hours. Leaving on a long trip when
you’re already tired is dangerous. If you have a
long trip scheduled, make sure that you get enough
sleep before you go.
Exercise regularly. Resistance to fatigue and
improved sleep are among the benefits of regular
exercise. Try to incorporate exercise into your
daily life. Instead of sitting and watching TV in
your sleeper, walk or jog a few laps around the
parking lot. A little bit of daily exercise will give
you energy throughout the day.
Eat healthy. It is often hard for drivers to find
healthy food. But with a little extra effort, you
can eat healthy, even on the road. Try to find
restaurants with healthy, balanced meals. If you
must eat at fast-food restaurants, pick low-fat items.
Another simple way to reduce your caloric intake
is to eliminate fattening snacks. Instead, try fruit
or vegetables.
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Avoid medication. Many medicines can make
you sleepy. Those that do, have a label warning
against operating vehicles or machinery. The most
common medicine of this type is an ordinary cold
pill. If you have to drive with a cold, you are better
off suffering from the cold than from the effects
of the medicine.
Visit your doctor. Regular checkups can literally be
lifesavers. Illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease,
and skin and colon cancer can be detected easily
and treated if found in time. You should consult
your physician or a local sleep disorder center if
you suffer from frequent daytime sleepiness, have
difficulty sleeping at night, take frequent naps,
fall asleep at strange times, snore loudly, gasp
and choke in your sleep, and/or wake up feeling
as though you have not had enough sleep.
While you are driving
Keep cool. A hot, poorly ventilated vehicle can
make you sleepy. Keep the window or vent cracked
open or use the air conditioner, if you have one.
Take breaks. Short breaks can keep you alert.
But the time to take them is before you feel
really drowsy or tired. Stop often. Walk around
and inspect your vehicle. It may help to do some
physical exercises. Be sure to take a mid-afternoon
break and plan to sleep between midnight and 6 a.m.
Recognize the danger signals of drowsy driving.
Sleep is not voluntary. If you’re drowsy, you can fall
asleep and never even know it. If you are drowsy,
you are likely to have “micro sleeps”–brief naps
that last around four or five seconds. At 55 miles
an hour, that’s more than 100 yards, and plenty of
time for a crash. Even if you are not aware of being
drowsy, if you have a sleep debt you are still at
risk. There are a few ways to tell if you’re about to
fall asleep. If you experience any of these danger
signs, take them as a warning that you could fall
asleep without meaning to:
• Your eyes close or go out of focus by themselves.
• You have trouble keeping your head up.
• You can’t stop yawning.
• You have wandering, disconnected thoughts.
• You don’t remember driving the last few miles.