We have all more or less guessed that this situation, also known as highway hypnosis, is a very annoying situation for drivers. It would be beneficial for you to read this article, especially if you have seen an increase in your stress level due to a busy life lately.
“So what is this state of hypnosis?” If you say so, let us explain immediately.
First, let’s look at why this syndrome occurs: Physical and mental fatigue, in particular, invites this syndrome.
For example, you had insufficient sleep at night and got up in the morning and rushed straight to work without being properly prepared. Your brain will spend a lot of energy to keep you sober, even the slightest sitting on the way home at the end of the day will cause you to relax; This comfort will turn into the need for sleep.
In such cases, the human brain works as if it had turned on autopilot mode. You drive but you don’t know why you drive, because you know the road by heart. You automatically obey traffic rules and dive into deep thoughts. However, even the slightest negligence can cause death/injury to you or someone else.
White lines on straight roads significantly increase your risk of contracting this syndrome.
When you drive on a straight road, there are generally not many left or right turns, so by looking at the white stripes on the road, you actually increase your risk of getting this syndrome.
When you drive on a more winding, crowded and scenic road, your brain will work harder to keep you alert. As a result, you have to stop and go many times while driving in crowded traffic.
“Isn’t there a way to avoid this situation?” We thought we heard you ask. Actually there are many methods, here are some of them:
- Listening to loud music: Keeps your brain active.
- Listening to talk shows on the radio: You’re more likely to stay awake because your brain will focus you on the conversation.
- Sitting in a good position: Regulates your blood flow.
- Drinking coffee before hitting the road: It makes you lose sleep significantly.
- Setting out in daylight.
- Stopping and taking breaks when you feel excessively sleepy.
In fact, we can think of this as our body putting us in autopilot mode. For example; We also switch to autopilot mode while cycling, walking and knitting.
For example, when you ride a bike, you start doing it unconsciously after a while, but when you say to yourself “I’m riding a bike right now”, you experience situations where you go into a sudden panic and lose your balance. Of course, this is just one of the most well-known examples, if you think about it while walking, it is highly likely that you will get the same result.
When we associate this with driving, we can say that experienced drivers do this automatically after a while. Multitasking, which we generally call “multitasking skill”, is quite common, especially in such situations. Naturally, in such cases, the driver may forget when he came home and how he drove. This phenomenon even has a name in science: “Humphrey’s Law”.
Do not think that it is a nice syndrome just because it has a scientific name. Most drivers are not aware of many of the accident dangers around them because they are caught up in this hypnosis. It should be emphasized that: Driving without sleep is more dangerous than driving with 0.05% alcohol in your blood.
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