No More Driving Half Asleep

I drove tired or half asleep three times in my life. I share the three times once in July 2006 and twice in July 2007. All three times were either late night after midnight or early morning before sunrise. I was lucky all three times. The July 2006 happened from Anaheim, CA to Watsonville, CA driving with three friends starting at 7pm. I ate potato chips on Interstate 5 to stay awake. I reached from the driver's seat to the driver's side rear to eat one potato chip every five seconds. The third friend drove from San Jose to Hayward while I slept. I was fully awake driving myself home from Hayward to San Jose.

The first July 2007 happened from San Jose to Long Beach, CA driving with two friends starting around midnight. I drove half-asleep and dozing off on Interstate 5 after the Grapevine. My eyes closed briefly. Then my eyes opened wide. Repeated multiple times. Very scary. I took a nap after I refueled in Newhall, CA. One of my two friends who rode with me should have drove before the Grapevine. The third friend didn't have a driver's license.

The second July 2007 happened from Long Beach to San Jose driving solo starting around 10pm. I drove half-asleep without dozing off. My eyes never closed. It must have been adrenaline. I drove 90mph on Interstate 5 to arrive home faster. It must have been the speed rush, too. I drove dangerously fast on Highway 152 with its hills and two-lane curves. I never thought of taking a nap at a rest stop. My focus was arriving home fast. The biggest mistake was poor snacking. I stopped at a 24-hour gas station in Gilroy, CA for food. I had bottle water. I purchased sugary cake snacks. I thought eating sugar kept me awake. The snacks somewhat kept me awake. My stomach grumbled in Morgan Hill, CA. The correct snacks should have been beef jerky, trail mix, or peanuts and a healthier starch with less sugar such as bread or a roll. A Snickers candy bar was better than a Twinkie.

A lifetime promise is never drive fatigued. Never drive half asleep. Drive intelligently. Eat healthy. Bring healthy snacks. Minimize sugar on the road. Eat sugar foods away from the car.