True. Straight, featureless road. No traffic, that low humming of the tires on the pavement, early morning (6-7am). Passenger sleeping next to you.
I tried everything. Music, rolling down the windows, even eating snacks. It happened so fast.
To this day I am extra cautious when it comes to long drives. I will trade endurance for safety and call it quits much earlier now.
On a related note, the new Mercedes E-class has a feature where the car will sense your driving style and develop a baseline. If you start to drift in your lane, or deviate from that when you get tired, the car will warn you and light up a little icon on the dash (it’s a coffee cup) suggesting you pull over and get some rest/refreshment.
Something about someone else asleep just relaxes you and makes you sleepy. Like how a yawn is contagious.
Wake them up and say “If the thought of me falling asleep behind the wheel doesn't keep you awake, why should it keep me awake?”
Let them ponder that one awhile.
Same here. Those extra few miles can be made up, if need be, after I’ve rested.
That is a good feature on the Mercedes E; but, I knew long before it happened that I needed to rest. I was just determined to make it into Amarillo before I did. Thankfully, I’m not quite so stubborn (ignorant) anymore when it comes to taking safety precautions.