Safe and Healthy Driving Tips!

Friends of Hermina, driving is an activity that has become part of the community's routine to reach the destination. Driving using a car is the dream of individuals, especially in big cities because of its convenience. However, it is undeniable that in some traffic accidents, car users can have a fatal impact, which can lead to death.

Traffic accidents are usually caused by factors that are not primed by the driver while driving, such as drowsiness, fatigue, emotion, and negligence in driving.

Why are you sleepy?

When driving for long periods of time, the driver's position tends to be static, causing fatigue in the posture muscles. Besides fatigue, the impact is also on the lack of oxygen levels being channeled to the brain because all the glass is closed and then inhaling Freon from the air conditioner so that the brain lacks oxygen and causes drowsiness.

So what does sleepiness have to do with posture?

When we are sleepy, our postural patterns will weaken, so our awareness will decrease as well as the alertness reflexes needed when driving.

Here are tips to keep our posture good so that sleepiness can be prevented:

1.Sitting Position
Before starting the journey, the driver must adjust the position of the car seat. The correct sitting position is the body upright and forming an angle of 100 degrees.
You do this by adjusting the position of the seat back so that it is in the right position but remains relaxed, and making sure the position of the hands and feet remains free to move when driving.
Put your back against the back of the seat or back rest so you don't get tired easily.
In addition, pay attention to the range of eyesight to the exterior mirror area, interior mirror, and blind spot area, which can be clearly monitored when the driver is adjusting the seat position.

2.Head Position
Make sure the seat headrest position is in accordance with the driver's head height, and make sure the head position is upright in line with the shoulders so that concentration and views towards the front of the vehicle are not disturbed.
The right headrest height can protect the rider's head and neck in the event of a hard impact due to an accident. Hand Position
The position of the hands must also be considered in order to remain free to move and relax. When holding the steering wheel, it is best if your thumb is outside your 4 finger grip to avoid injury when fully gripping the steering wheel.
The position of the hand when gripping the steering wheel is also recommended in the 9 o'clock position and the 3 o'clock direction.
Always use both hands when holding the steering wheel to maintain maneuvering reflexes and also for safety

3.Hand Position
The position of the hands must also be considered in order to remain free to move and relax. When holding the steering wheel, it is better if your thumb is outside your 4 finger grip to avoid injury when gripping the steering wheel fully. The position of the hand when gripping the steering wheel is also recommended at the 9 o'clock position and the 3 o'clock direction. Always use both hands when holding the wheel. steering to maintain maneuvering reflex and also for safety

4.Foot Position
The position of the foot must be adjusted to the comfort of the rider, because the right foot position will prevent knee pain after long distance driving.
The position of the legs should not be too bent or too straight.
Then control the high or low chair according to posture, and the hips are not lower than the knees because it will block blood circulation to the legs.
If the car does not have these controls, the driver can use pillows to keep the hips at knee level.
For manual transmission car drivers, avoid the habit of the left foot sticking to the surface of the clutch pedal when not in use, so that the clutch function can always function properly.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the carpet under the pedal area of ​​the vehicle by always using a flat-surfaced carpet and not wavy or folded, because the shape of the wavy or folded carpet is feared to cause the pedal to be prone to snagging when being stepped on. This is very dangerous for motorists.

5.Doing Muscle Stretches
Driving long distances and sitting for too long must be balanced with muscle stretching.
This is done so that blood circulation is smooth and the driver does not feel tired.
Muscle stretching can be done every 2-3 hours when the body feels sore or uncomfortable while driving.

6. Take a break when you start to feel tired and sleepy
It aims to restore the body's metabolism and replenish the oxygen demand in the brain that is reduced during driving.

Reference :

-A method to model anticipatory postural control in driver braking events

- Jonas OsthErik EliassonRiender HappeeKarin Broli

-Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Applied Mechanics, Division of Vehicle Safety, Gothenburg, SwedenbBioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands