Fatigue is related to 20/30% of traffic accidents. Its main cause is driving without rest for too long. In addition, there are many variables of the environment, the vehicle and, especially, the driver that can favor its appearance or enhance its effects.

If we prolong fatigue over time, doctors warn that there is a chance that we will develop chronic fatigue (if we have passed the coronavirus, we are likely to suffer from it), which is even more dangerous due to the continuous effects it has on our body.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex disorder of unknown cause that can seriously affect quality of life, they explain. In addition to extreme tiredness, which does not decrease with rest, it is associated with other general manifestations, such as concentration or memory problems.

When we get into a vehicle, this syndrome can become fatal if we do not put into practice the advice of the DGT to combat fatigue at the wheel, responsible for so many accidents every year.

As it explains the General Directorate of Traffic, to combat chronic fatigue the best strategy to counteract the effect of fatigue is to rest regularly, although it is not always cured in this way.

Chronic fatigue is a very important issue for traffic safety in two ways:

• if you suffer a chronic fatigue syndrome due to the load of your work or inadequate rest habits, over time you can easily suffer an accident.
• Driving can also become the main source of fatigue in people who, due to their work, have to spend many hours behind the wheel. In them the risk of accident can be very high.

Both situations are dangerous and are related to numerous traffic accidents. And the DGT speaks specifically of six driving disorders if we suffer from this syndrome.

Altered vision: your vision can become blurry, causing problems focusing on objects in the field of vision and causing a clear decrease in visual acuity.

Hearing disturbance: you may experience abrupt and exaggerated reactions to some sudden sounds (for example, braking hard at the sound of a horn).

Alteration of bodily sensations: Small migraines and pressure sensations are often experienced in the head, especially in the temples.

Alteration of movements: your movements will be slower, less precise and less effective, which can easily expose you to risky situations. The number of maneuvers you perform also tends to decrease (for example, the direction is usually corrected a smaller number of times).

behavioral disturbance: reluctance behind the wheel appears, so you start driving in an automated and much less active way (you pay less attention to the road). You can take greater risks behind the wheel. You are less critical of your behavior behind the wheel.

Alteration of decision making: decreases the quantity and quality of the information you collect from the environment, due to alterations in sight, hearing and in your attentional systems. You can easily misread traffic situations or the behavior of others.

To combat all this, it is key to get a good night’s rest, exercise to stay healthy and in a good mood, and eat well. On this last point, we leave you with a fantastic article so that you know which foods can help you eliminate fatigue while eating.