Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have, several times. I would be driving on the freeway, fall asleep without noticing, and then wake up several lanes over from where I last remembered driving. Doctor found an underlying medical issue, which is now resolved, so I don't doze off anymore behind the wheel.
But yes, I did it in the past and it was extremely scary each time.
I have not fallen asleep while driving, thankfully. However, there have been times when I have triggered Attention Assist in modern Mercedes, indicating that the computer thinks I am drowsier than when I started the trip. When that happens, and I am on a long drive, I do stop and get out, run around, have a coffee, something to sharpen my senses and refresh.
I have fallen asleep in the car, though, when I stopped it, including falling asleep in my garage because I turned off the car, went to check something on my phone, and then awoke a couple of hours later. Technically, that was at the wheel, and when I was awakened, it was with a startled response that I was in the car.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,298 posts, read 80,577,144 times
Reputation: 57288
The problem is considering a car to be transportation, an appliance. For those of us that enjoy driving, a driverless car will never be in our garage. On a long trip lasting more than about 14 hours I may get tired and need to stop for a nap, that's just a limitation of the human. The closest I came was years ago at age 19 after driving from Tennessee to Texas straight through, about 20 hours. I didn't fall asleep at the wheel but started to see non-existent things crossing the road in front of me so pulled off on the next exit and went to sleep for several hours until it got light. I wouldn't try to go that far again.
i have a few times over the years, usually late at night after a long day either driving or working. these days however i dont drive for more than 10 hours, or 600 miles which ever comes first.
i have a few times over the years, usually late at night after a long day either driving or working. these days however i dont drive for more than 10 hours, or 600 miles which ever comes first.
Ditto for me, during winter season it would be 8 hours and 500 miles. I do a fair amount of mountain driving, have come close to a lot of deer. I don't speed though. t'aint worth it.
I also try to get out of the car every other hour, kind of do a few jumping jacks, swig a little coffee, chew on a lot of gum, and play that music in the CD player. I've been lucky, have driven close to 3 million miles in my life, never injured anyone. Would like to keep it that way.
Yes I've fallen asleep while driving lots of times but the worse was in 1968 while commuting about 60 miles one way from my military base in NM to west TX to my girl friend's house. I was returning to my base late one evening in my 1968 Chevy II Nova and was in the westbound lane on a 4-lane separated highway. As I approached a left hand turn lane on my side, I fell asleep. The car entered the left turn lane slamming over a thin reflector post at the end of the turn lane as it went up onto the middle gravel-covered divide. As the car hit the shallow curb at the end of the turn lane it went into the air. The car came down sideways in the gravel divide and began sliding in the gravel. By this time I was wide awake but had no control but to turn my wheels into the slide. The car continue its slide down the divide sideways, then it spun around leaving the divided area and traveled backward across the westbound lane and into the road ditch. I'm lucky the car did not roll but I did lose two Rally wheels rings into the nearby sorghum field that I never found. Also the reflector marker forever left a small dent in the middle of my hood as I went over it.
You may say no female is worth that sort of commuting but this one was. I've now been married to that great lady for 45 years.
Yup, when I was working graveyard I used to fall asleep, never completely out but I'd nod off and wake up when I hit rumble strips on the side of the freeway.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.