3 strategies to avoid falling asleep when driving –

Closeup portrait tired young attractive woman with short attention span, driving her car after long hours trip, yawning at wheel, isolated outside background. sleep deprivation (nandyphotos/Thinkstock/Getty Images)

Last night was bad sleep and the day was exhausting. If you drive home, be careful: tiredness is responsible for around 20% of traffic accidents in Brazil. With that in mind, the Brazilian Academy of Neurology (ABN), with the support of the Brazilian Association of Traffic Medicine (Abramet), launched the campaign “Don’t give sleep a ride!”. ABN director Lucila Prado suggests some tips for you to keep your eyes wide open and not waver behind the wheel.

1. Stop at a convenience store and drink strong coffee. As caffeine takes 30 minutes to take effect in the body, during this waiting period, take a nap. And remember: the extra boost of stimulant only lasts for an hour.

Read more: How your diet can affect your sleep

2. Have a companion on the trip (or call a friend over the car’s Bluetooth). Talking speeds up thinking and activates the brain.

3. Forget listening to loud music or chewing gum. Only 10% of drivers benefit from these attitudes. Wind in the face is also out of the question.