How to beat travel fatigue?

Long periods of time spent driving through slow traffic not only cause feelings of boredom, frustration, and irritation, but can also result in a condition known as travel fatigue.

When you travel frequently for days, weeks, or even months at a time, you can develop a condition known as travel fatigue, sometimes known as road stress.

Anyone who travels frequently enough may get the syndrome, though the intensity of it varies depending on how frequently and how far one drives, or how long one is frequently stopped in traffic.

The fact that drivers must constantly focus on the road and be cautious has a greater impact on them than passengers. According to the authorities, this is particularly referred to as driver fatigue, and it can be fatal.

The dangers of traffic fatigue

Although it hasn’t yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, traffic is once again ramping up, and there are still a sizable number of people using the roads every day.

While being stuck in traffic might be frustrating, the sheer boredom of it can cause a driver to divert their attention, which could include using a cell phone, eating, or engaging in any number of other driver distractions.

One of the main reasons for accidents on the road is not paying attention to the road, and it happens so quickly. Driver weariness can result from anything from mental stress, illness, or boredom, according to road safety experts Arrive Alive, and it plays a part in thousands of collisions on our roads every year.

How to beat it?

Despite the fact that driver weariness poses a severe risk to traffic safety, there are strategies drivers can employ to stay awake and energetic. Many individuals are unaware of the mental and physical toll that travelling great distances or sitting in traffic for extended periods of time has.

When travelling a long distance by car, stop for 15 minutes every two hours or every 160 km to stretch your legs and get some fresh air.

Never overwork yourself when driving and be alert for warning indications that it’s time to stop, such as when you start to yawn, your reflexes slow down, or you find yourself daydreaming or becoming sidetracked by the landscape outside.

When driving on a regular basis, avoid driving during times when there is a lot of traffic and try to commute earlier or later from home.

If you must travel long distances or avoid traffic because, for instance, you live far from your place of employment, you can keep yourself entertained and focused by listening to a podcast or self-improvement lessons while you drive.

For regular travellers

According to research on the effects of travel fatigue on athletes, which was published in the American National Library of Medicine, frequent and protracted travel can have a significant effect on performance as well as the likelihood of being sick or hurt.

As a result of the study, the following recommendations for frequent drivers can be made:

Sleeping well and getting enough rest helps prevent travel burnout and make your visits safer and more pleasurable. So that you won’t be prone to nodding off while driving, get adequate sleep.

Try sleep banking, which is when you extend sleep beyond what is typically required in order to have an excess of sleep during periods of sleep deprivation if you know a lengthy trip is coming up.

Your everyday level of alertness and energy is significantly influenced by your food. During commutes or long-distance travel, make sure you are adequately hydrated and are not hungry or thirsty.

Even though you may not be thinking about food as you make your way home from work, being hungry or thirsty and caught in a traffic jam can only make you feel worse.

You can increase your body’s capacity to withstand traffic stress by taking vitamins. Consider folate and vitamin B-12, which both function to give you a feeling of vigour and alertness.

They contribute to the formation of red blood cells, which enables you to make sure that your brain has access to the oxygen it requires to function at its best. By consuming folate-rich foods like legumes and bread as well as vitamin B-12-rich foods like meat and dairy, these can be preserved at healthy levels.

Although you might not always be able to escape traffic, you can always choose how you feel about it. By organising your daily driving routine, you may reduce the amount of time you spend driving, giving you a sense of control over your driving experience and preventing traffic fatigue.

• Information from MiWay