Highway Hypnosis - GMC TopKick 2007 Owner's Manual

Before changing lanes, check your mirrors.
Then use your turn signal.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make
certain you allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your
exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite
sharply. The exit speed for cars — but not larger
vehicles — is usually posted. You should go
more slowly.
Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense of motion.
After driving for any distance at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going slower than
you actually are.

Highway Hypnosis

Is there actually such a condition as highway
hypnosis? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the
wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of
awareness, or whatever.
When you drive the vehicle for a long distance,
there is something about an easy stretch of
road with the same scenery, along with the hum of
the tires on the road, the drone of the engine,
and the rush of the wind against the vehicle that
can make you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis?
First, be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
•
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated,
with a comfortably cool interior.
•
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead
and to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
•
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get
some exercise, or both. For safety, treat
drowsiness on the highway as an emergency.
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