Ever felt that overwhelming desire to shut your eyes and take '40 winks'? That's a phenomenon known as 'microsleep'.
Microsleep or micro napping refers to a very short sleep measured in seconds. The brain slows down and eyes usually close or vision is blurred. Someone experiencing microsleep may become drowsy, have trouble focusing and yawn repeatedly. It can happen when you are sleep deprived or tired - for example you may drop off in the evening whilst watching the TV on the sofa, but just for a little while. However, imagine this happening whilst driving and how dangerous this can be.
Microsleep might well happen if you have been driving for a long time without a break, it's night time, maybe the other passengers in the car have all fallen asleep or you are just genuinely feeling really tired. Maybe it's been a long day at a meeting and you'd prefer to drive home afterwards than stay overnight. Motorway driving is very monotonous and can cause lapses in concentration. The implications of dropping off to sleep whilst being in control of a car need not be described....
We wish you many miles of safe driving. If you would like to know more about the driver assistance and safety features on your vehicle, please get in touch with our dealership teams.
Happy Motoring!
(Thanks to our Safety Research team at ŠKODA for some of these hacks)