mac.calder Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I have never fallen asleep at the wheel, mainly because I do not drive whilst tired. I have a sleeping bag in my car, and if I am tired, I will either sleep in the venue or in my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUSTie Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 I am currently in my office working a stupidly lone edit, which will probably be lasting another 12hrs or so. its a taxi home when I am done. I have been in the car when the driver fell asleep and still have the scars to prove it. not pleasant. we should not do these shifts but some times there just seems to be no option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Beech Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 I've not fallen asleep at the wheel. I often do a lot of driving after a show at night, which can make it a very long day. I try nd work it so that half way through a journey back in the night I'll need some fuel, thats the excuse I need to stop. I can let someone else fill the van up whilst I have a walk round for a while. Whilst I'm not on tacho's with this van I do tend to stick within the same guidelines. being 3 or more of us in the van its rare you could get more than 4 hours without one of them wanting to stop for something anyway. This is one of the reasons I'm not fond of things like cruise control. its one less thing you have to concentrate on, when you've already been up 18 hours and still have a couple of hours driving to do the last thing you want is to not have to concentrate on things. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 See... A Previous Topic and yet another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Some Bloke Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 As someone who is allergic to caffeine and, thus, cannot go down the route of coffee or Red Bull, I can confirm that by far the best answer if driving late at night is conversation. It keeps your brain active and the other person is allerted immediately if you start to drift off. Other people often realise you're tired before you do yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart91 Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 This is one of the reasons I'm not fond of things like cruise control. its one less thing you have to concentrate on, Funny, I've found the opposite. Perhaps because my tired brain now has only one thing to concentrate on (steering in a straight line) rather than having to concentrate on the speed of the vehicle as well. I've also found having aircon in a vehicle really helpful - having a blast of cold air in your face does help you stay alert! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikienorth Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 Nothing works except stopping and taking a nap.Cold air, loud radio, conversation, Radio 2, red bull, coffee, sweets, pulling off the motorway and doing a couple of junctions on A roads, and any other myths and legends to keep yourself awake are only prolonging the inevitable. I have had 'moments' behind the wheel, and as a passenger many times. The 'nodding of the head' alluded to here could, to an alert observer, actually be you falling asleep for a couple of seconds. Which is enough. If you need an 'excuse' to stop for a rest, I find there is no better than not wanting to kill yourself and your passengers. I have been so tired I was dreaming behind the wheel, I have driven the length of the M6 without remembering, I have 'nodded my head' and switched lanes, and into the central reservation in the millisecond that my head nodded.I have seen drivers asleep with their elbows wedged in the van steering wheel, going in a nice straight line at 80mph. I have woken those up.I have seen the damage done to a van with 5 people in, all in seats, and to the people when that van hit the rear of an arctic on a motorway. I have pulled over, with others in a van refusing to drive, got out the drivers seat and sat in the back, to sleep.Its surprising how quickly someone else will drive if they want to get home. Much as I love the job I do, I don't want to die for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxopholist Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 I have to confess its something I'm not proud of having done... Certainly in the corporate market during the rig and show a lot is done keep the crew relatively happy and comfortable, but the minute the show is over why worry? Hence half as many crew for a de-rig, no relief crew after a 20 hour day, and most importantly no offer of accomodation at the end of a long day, and night's work... As a freelancer also, I often get shows that "run long" then the derig, then the drive home, and your next client doesnt care what time your last show finished, or how much of a break you've had... you will be there to unload the truck at 5am!! These are not to be taken as excuses, but in reality if I made sure I took a sensible break between shows, I would either have to accept 1/2 the work or double my rate... Its not so bad when I'm doing shows around London on public transport, but if I finish in Nottingham or Birmingham at 1am, and my next load in is in London at 5am what can you do? Its certainly far from ideal, but until something significant changes, If one person insists on accomodation after a late finish and a travel day extra on your rate, the work will onl go to someone who is willing to take the risk... It is a pet grumble of mine, luckily in 13 years of driving in the industry I have only had 2 or 3 occasions when I really have been unfit to drive, but that is clearly 2 or 3 times too often, normally I find the time to take a quick nap in a layby or service area... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 I have only once fallen asleep at the wheel, though nothing at all to do with any show.I was driving back from my sister's in Suffolk, back to the midlands - around a 4-hour drive back then (over 20 years ago!). We were on target to get my other half (now the wife) back to sign on (post uni, pre job) the dole in our home town, with time to spare, though I didn't want to stop and lose time, only to get stuck in traffic further down. I felt fine, up to the point where we were about 15 miles away from home - she was nodding in the passnger seat of the Escort van, and I managed to close my eyes - again for just a split second - the van went over a small hump-bridge over a stream and I clipped the rear wing on the 2 ft high bridge. MAN that woke us both up darned quick!!! To this day, I've always felt bad about that. And I ALWAYS pull over when driving long distances after 2.5 hrs MAX - if I feel drowsy I'll have a walk, have a drink etc. If I feel tired, I'll close my eyes in the car for at least 15 minutes, probably more. Going to Cornwall this year on hols, I think I kipped 3 times down, twice back, though there were regular stops (two kids in back, you have no choice!!) When we last flew back from Florida, we arrived back early morning at Gatwick. I can't sleep very easily on planes or coaches, so I was kn***ered before I started. Got into the car, packed it all up, drove 5 miles down the road and pulled in to a layby and snatched 30 minutes. That was enough to easily get me home without feeling the effects. Sometimes, a 'power nap' is all you need, BUT not always.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallMike Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 Oh... wrong topic. Thought we were discussing Amercian Texas Swing band Asleep at the Wheel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Jelfs Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 I have fallen asleep at the wheel once, driving back from my then g/f's house in birmingham, to mine south of northampton, I used to come off the M1 at j18 and go down the A5, the problem being that it is nice and straight being an old roman road for a lot of it... too easy to fall asleep... luckily it was only for a second or two, and there was nothing around, but never again. A month ago iwas coming back from carlisle to where I now live in derby, after working 20hour days for a weekend festy, I must have stopped about 4 times, and went to sleep for hal hour at a services to make sure I was good to drive... its not worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekij Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 As someone who is allergic to caffeine and, thus, cannot go down the route of coffee ...You misunderstand. Drinking a hot coffee will only keep you awake for an hour or so. Pouring hot coffee over your crotch will keep you awake for at least 12 hours. :P Something you see from time to time in the USA (where people regularly do mammoth 9 hour or more driving sessions) is someone driving with their right arm over their head holding their left ear. If they start to doze off their arm relaxes and twists their head and neck sharply waking them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I have to confess its something I'm not proud of having done...Me neither. I think I've already told the story elsewhere, about how I suddenly found myself heading towards a bus queue one morning, so sadly I've had to vote "Yes". ...in reality if I made sure I took a sensible break between shows, I would either have to accept 1/2 the work or double my rate... if I finish in Nottingham or Birmingham at 1am, and my next load in is in London at 5am what can you do?... ...If one person insists on accomodation after a late finish and a travel day extra on your rate, the work will onl go to someone who is willing to take the risk...Back in the late 90s (a few years before I "downsized my freelance activities in general) I made a decision that, unless it was absolutely impossible, I would leave one clear day between shows. Yes, I had to turn down some work, but it wasn't that much in the end. When I explained to the people that I was turning down, why I was doing so and how it could benefit them in the future, they generally saw the light and booked me as earlier the next time round. It is a pet grumble of mine...No NO NO! It's NOT "grumbling" Sorry, but as long as we continue to regard expressing our safety concerns in such negative ways, they are less likely to be taken seriously by the people to whom we're expressing them and even less likely to improve. Things are going the right way and with gentle, but continuous pressure, will continue to do so. There are already some companies who risk assess for fatigue on the basis of a maximum 12 hour day and who will book separate crews for the derig. None of the employers I've spoken to of late seem to have a problem with the 12 hour day in principle - we just have to keep pushing slowly but surely and hopefully it will become the norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I am not as much prone to falling asleep at the wheel. But have started hallucinating when driving tired which is quite scary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 My good friend Andrew 'BranVan39' fell asleep with me in the passenger seat! He fell asleep driving back from PLASA 2 years ago (2004)... I didn't drive at the time so I couldn't offer to drive for him... just had to take my chances We did think about stopping and getting some sleep, but instead we stopped so I could smoke and he could wake up in the cold air... plus if we'd have slept, it'd probably be really cold! :blink: We were oddly talking about that just the other day! I've never fallen asleep at the wheel, you see - when your as gifted at driving as me.............. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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