how could someone in their right mind posssibly fall asleep while driving?

Question

I have heard about it happening to people.how does it happen?
didnt know where to ask this!

Answer 1

they just go day dreaming ... they imagine that they are still woke up and driving .... while their brains actually making this up to get some Rest = P Brain Tease

Answer 2

I suppose it can happen in many different ways like:

Drugs that u have taken that make u drowsy.
Alcohol,
If you had a long day and on a long journey home,
Motorways are the worst cos you are most of the time on one long constant straight etc to keep u alert and it does not help if the car is stuffy and hot.
some people when bored don't realise they are begining to drop off

People just want to get home cos life is too crazy as it is so they don't think to stop for a min.

Word of advise stop at the servises for a snack and streatch, keep the car cool by opening the window and put on some bouncing music to keep you alert.

Answer 3

Its not a consious decision to curl up and take a nap.
Its the same kind of thing as nodding off whilst watching TV. You are driving along, you are tired, maybe its dark, the heater is blowing hot air at you. The road can have almost a hypnotic, mesmeric effect on the mind, especially motorway driving. The next thing you know, you wake up in a tree.
You know nothing about it. That is why its such a bad idea to drive if you are tired

Answer 4

People are to oblivious to the risks they take when they get behind the wheel. Even a healthy adult is taking a major risk. Things can and do go wrong. When people fall asleep while driving... they just fall asleep. Everyone has a bed time internally... and when that time is approaching its a bad time to get behind the wheel. People don't realize this and they get into their car. Then due to the lack of physical activity required to drive, the heat from the heater, and the music lulling you on the radio, it's a recipie for disaster.

Answer 5

Its not about being in ''the right mind.'' Its about not being able to keep your effing eyes open on the road. This happened to my husband. His company would make him work crazy hours, and one morning he got in an accident due to falling asleep at the wheel. Not a bad accident, he merely rolled into another car (rear ended a ups truck) at a red light, but still scary none the less.

You must be pretty young to just be hearing of people falling asleep at the wheel. I knew of this way before I started driving. Also, I wasn't mind boggled by it either, it makes perfect sense. Someone is tired while they are driving, they fall asleep. Simple as that.

Answer 6

Have you ever been watching tv or sitting on a train and suddenly realised that your eyes are closed? You didn't consciously think "I'll go to sleep now", you just drifted off.

Same thing. Usually it's a mixture of sheer exhaustion and driving on a particularly boring stretch of road (a motorway for example). It doesn't happen that often but it does happen.

That's why it's recommended that if you are driving tired, you should stop and either sleep or do something to bring you back to alertness.

People don't choose to do it... it's involuntary. The stupid part is that they don't stop as soon as they realise that they are tired.

Answer 7

If someone has a sleep disorder, they can fall asleep for a few moments and not realise it. It's called Sleep Apnea (don't know if I spelt it right). It's not their fault and they don't know it is happening. It is actually a neuralogical disorder of the brain and it can happen to anyone at any age. A colleague of mine has had to stop driving for a while until his medication starts to work to control it. He used to go to sleep for about 30 seconds while he was talking on the phone, or while he was chatting to someone, or even when he was standing at reception and then look at your as if nothing had happened and wonder why you were staring at him. He had actually kind of blacked out for a few moments.
So, for those of you who think this is something to laugh at or be appalled about - think again - it could happen to you!

Answer 8

You people have no idea. It is possible to fall asleep while driving JUST from simply being tired. People arent crazy because they fall asleep while driving. Any normal person would know better to not shut their eyes while driving. Well duh!!! If someone has to be somewhere really early like work, and they didn't get enough sleep the night before or they are just really tired, it is possible to doze off,and not know it. It happens all the time. Whether you realize it or not!!

Answer 9

drowsyness is a mechanism from the brain if the activity of the person is doing, considered to be an excess use of oxygent, while the supply isnt adequate. so the brain will shut down itself, by sleeping, back to its basal metabolic states.

how does the brain know, is coming from your emotional status. if you get exited on what you are doing, body will acted by fasting your heartbeat, fasting the frequency of your respirational rate, thus having an increase saturation of oxygent level in your blood. and vice versa.

so sometimes, usually drivers get drowsy whenever the rutinity gets them and they got bored. this is why you never see a cop accidentally goes to fall asleep while chasing criminal

maybe only when they get sleep deprivation. thats a different case.

Answer 10

you would be surprised. Some people are not smart enough to realize after taking NyQuil that they might get drowsy, and should not drive. Take a look at all the stupid warning labels that we have floating around today, I mean what kind of a moron does not know that coffee is supposed to be hot?!!? do we really need a warning on the cup people!?!?

Answer 11

Its common amongst people in the driving profession, such as long distrance lorry drivers, is the cause of quite a few accidents. There was a doc on TV a few months back about it, so much so I avoid lorries now when driving!