Driver drowsiness

Definition

Drowsiness is a leading cause of serious crashes, especially on long, night-time and motorway trips. Signs include yawning, blinking, loss of concentration, lane drift and «microsleeps» of a few seconds. The only effective solution is to stop and rest; coffee, loud music or open windows mask the issue, they don't fix it.

Key facts

• Stop every 2 hours or 200 km, and any time you notice fatigue.
• A 4-second microsleep at 120 km/h equals 130 m driven without control.
• The two hours before and after sunrise are the most dangerous.
• Medication, even small amounts of alcohol, and heavy meals worsen drowsiness.

Real Driver drowsiness questions (B licence)

• ¿Cuál de estos NO es un dispositivo de alumbramiento en el vehículo?
• Una hilera de luces amarillas fijas o intermitentes…
• Si debido a una avería, un vehículo queda inmovilizado en el interior de un túnel, su conductor, siempre que sea posible deberá...
• Para evitar ruidos excesivos e innecesarios, el conductor de una motocicleta debe...
• ¿Es obligatorio llevar iluminada la placa posterior de la matrícula durante la noche?
• Al distraerse, el conductor tarda...
• Su vehículo se incendia y no tiene extintor. ¿Cómo debe apagarlo?
• Conduciendo una motocicleta, ¿está permitido llevar el casco desabrochado?

More glossary terms

• Reflector (catadioptric)— Passive reflective device that bounces incoming light back t…
• Conventional road— Interurban road that is not a motorway, dual carriageway or …
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS)— Electronic device that prevents the wheels from locking up d…
• Reversible lane— Lane whose direction of travel can change according to time …
• Safe following distance— Gap a driver must keep from the vehicle in front to stop wit…
• Blood alcohol limit— Concentration of alcohol in blood or exhaled air, expressed …
• Blind spot— Area around a vehicle that the driver cannot see using the m…
• Adaptive lights— Headlight system that adapts beam shape or intensity to road…