Driving home after an overnight shift or leaving early for a holiday trip can seem routine. If you haven’t had enough sleep, however, getting behind the wheel can put you and everyone around you at risk. Fatigue can interfere with the attention and judgment you need to drive safely, even before you fall asleep.
Drowsy driving prevention starts with recognizing when you are too tired to drive and making another plan. If a fatigued driver has injured you, Fieger Law’s Michigan car accident lawyers can review what happened and explain your options.
The National Sleep Foundation’s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week® runs from Nov. 1 to Nov. 7, 2026. It reminds you to treat sleep as part of road safety, whether you are commuting across Metro Detroit, traveling on I-75, or making a short trip close to home.
Why Fatigue Makes Driving Dangerous
Staying in your lane, noticing a stopped vehicle, and responding to a changing traffic light require sustained attention. A tired driver may overlook a hazard or react too late to avoid it. Fatigue can also affect decisions about speed, following distance, and when to stop driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy drivers can experience microsleeps, brief lapses of consciousness that can last four or five seconds. During that time, a driver may travel a substantial distance without watching the road or controlling the vehicle.
You do not have to fall asleep for fatigue to become dangerous. If you struggle to concentrate or keep your eyes open, continuing to drive leaves little time to react when another vehicle brakes or a pedestrian enters the roadway.
Plan for Rest Before You Leave
The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep for most adults. Planning around that need is more useful than trying to overcome exhaustion on the road.
Before a longer trip, consider these steps:
- Build Time Into the Schedule: Leave room for rest stops and changes to your departure time.
- Share the Driving: Travel with a rested driver whenever possible and take turns behind the wheel.
- Check Medication Warnings: Ask a doctor or pharmacist about medicines that may cause sleepiness or affect driving.
- Plan the Return Trip: Consider how work, activities, or a late gathering will affect your ability to drive home.
If you often feel sleepy during the day despite getting enough sleep, discuss that pattern with a healthcare provider. A recurring problem staying awake deserves attention before it creates a dangerous situation behind the wheel.
Who Should Be Watching for Driver Fatigue?
Anyone can find themselves driving while tired. An overnight shift, interrupted sleep, or an early departure can leave a person less alert than they expect. Commercial drivers, people working irregular schedules, and parents caring for children overnight may need to plan around lost sleep.
The drive home deserves the same attention as the trip to work. After a demanding shift, ask whether you can stay alert for the entire route. Having driven that road many times does not make it safe to travel while exhausted.
Long holiday trips can create pressure to keep driving. You may want to leave before traffic builds, finish the drive without paying for a hotel, or reach a family gathering on time. Those goals should not decide whether you are fit to drive. A later arrival is preferable to continuing when you cannot stay awake.
Warning Signs That It Is Time to Stop
Do not wait until you nearly cause a crash to take fatigue seriously. Watch for these signs:
- Heavy eyelids or difficulty keeping your eyes open
- Repeated yawning or frequent blinking
- Wandering thoughts and trouble concentrating
- Difficulty remembering the last few miles
- Missing an exit or a traffic sign
- Drifting across lane markings or hitting a rumble strip
If a passenger notices these problems, listen to them. You may not recognize how tired you have become. Reaching your destination in another 10 minutes is not a reason to ignore a warning sign.
What to Do if You Become Sleepy Behind the Wheel
Find a safe, designated place to stop, such as a rest area or an appropriate parking lot. Avoid stopping on a highway shoulder unless an emergency requires it. If another licensed and rested driver is with you, ask them to take over.
The NHTSA explains that caffeine and a short nap may improve alertness temporarily. Coffee alone is not a reliable solution, and a brief rest does not replace adequate sleep. If you still feel tired, arrange another ride or postpone the rest of the trip.
Opening a window, turning up music, or telling yourself to focus should not be your plan for finishing the drive. The safest decision is to stop driving until you are rested.
Fatigue and Commercial Truck Safety
Large trucks share Michigan roads with passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and pedestrians. A truck driver who loses focus can put many people in danger. Delivery demands and driving schedules must account for the driver’s ability to operate safely.
Federal rules prohibit covered commercial drivers from operating when fatigue makes driving unsafe. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says carriers cannot require or permit a driver to operate while too fatigued to drive safely.
Following a work schedule does not, by itself, establish that a driver was alert. If fatigue may have contributed to a truck crash, Fieger Law can examine the driver’s activities and the company’s practices. Available evidence may include driving records, dispatch communications, electronic logs, and witness accounts.
What to Do After a Suspected Drowsy Driving Crash
Your immediate safety and medical needs come first. Call 911 when emergency help is needed. If you can do so safely, collect the other driver’s information, photograph the scene, and get contact information for witnesses. Do not put yourself in traffic to gather evidence.
Tell the responding officer what you observed. For example, a vehicle may have drifted between lanes before striking you. Describe those observations without guessing whether the driver was asleep. Lane drifting can have other causes that need investigation.
Keep medical records, insurance correspondence, photographs, and notes about the crash. Evidence about fatigue can be difficult to reconstruct later, so contact Fieger Law promptly. Whether you have a claim depends on the evidence and the law that applies to your situation.
Talk to Fieger Law About Your Crash
If a drowsy driver caused a crash that injured you or someone you love, you may have questions about medical bills, missed work, and your next steps. Fieger Law can review the circumstances, discuss available evidence, and explain whether a claim may be appropriate. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your Michigan car or truck accident.
