Help for the Pain

Driving in the early morning after a night shift is dangerous because there are a number of factors working against you. Fatigue is often the biggest factor. If this happens, you might find yourself falling asleep at the wheel. This often results in a personal injury traffic collision. As the fatigued driver, you may be held responsible and would need to hire a personal injury attorney to handle your case. While a personal injury attorney will help you through the post-collision steps and procedures, it is better to avoid placing yourself in this position to begin with. As a result, there are a few tips to help you avoid a traffic collision on your way home from your night shift.

Drive with Your Interior Lights On

Driving home in the early hours of the morning means you will be surrounded by darkness. The constant absence of light makes your body feel relaxed and will lead to you falling asleep as you drive. In order to combat this, always turn on the interior lights in your car before you drive. The bright lights will help to ensure that you stay alert and avoid a collision on your drive home.

Drink Caffeine towards the End of Your Shift

Caffeine is a great way to make it through a shift, but it also can be used to keep you awake on your drive home. If you have a long commute, then caffeine is even more beneficial. The trick is to drink a cup of coffee towards the end of your shift. This will allow the caffeine to work its way through your system by the time you get home. Therefore, you won't have trouble falling asleep once you reach your home.

Set Your Car's Thermostat a Little Colder or Warmer than Usual

If you are extremely tired there is very little that will prevent you from falling asleep. However, how comfortable your body feels often determines how fast you fall asleep. If you are in an environment that is too cold or warm it will take longer for your body to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. Therefore, you can set your car's thermostat to a temperature that your body deems to be too uncomfortable to fall asleep to. The trick is to continue adjusting your thermostat so that your body never gets too comfortable. One moment of comfort can lead to a number of personal injury claims against you.

Fighting sleep on your way home from a night shift is sometimes a losing battle that may end with you enlisting the help of a personal injury attorney. However, you might find that these tips work well to help keep you awake at the wheel after your night shift.