There
is a short period of time after my first child was born that I
absolutely do not remember driving to and from work. The night-time
nursing interruptions, coupled with a 40-mile commute often induced an
early morning state of autopilot that was more like a driving coma. More than once, I snapped back to attention to realize I was miles past my exit and was heading into another city.
I knew that driving while super sleepy was not a good thing, but I was
a working mom, and I just had to get there... Sometimes, it's simply
impossible to avoid a tired trip. You may be shocked to know that,
according to a blog at SheKnows.com,
an estimated 7.5 million drivers nod off behind the wheel in any given
month! In fact, statistics show 37% of all drivers admit that they have
dozed off while driving.
Enter new earpiece devices that sense when your head falls forward and
trigger an alarm to snap you out of your sleepy state. But the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration -- along with leading sleep
experts -- are not convinced the gadgets will actually prevent
accidents, and are concerned drivers will have a false sense of
security.
Can the high tech alarms really alert you before it's too late... or are you in for a risky ride?
SHEKNOWS.COM
By Brandy Schaffels
Contributing Editor and Sleepy Mom of Two
creative commons photos courtesy of piddysplace and pftqg via flickr
automotive advice for women
