Riding While Tired

[Drifter]

I felt like sharing this experience I had in Cour D Alene (sp?) Idaho a few years back. To this day, it is a haunting memory that pops to mind on occasion.

I was taking a trip to Montana from Sacramento and I figured I'd head up 93 straight up through Idaho to Highway 2 and then head east into MT. It was about 9:30 AM, and I had only been on the road for about 1 hour, having just left my motel where I had spent the night. I was coming into Cour D Alene Idaho, when I came up on a guy riding an older, nearly vintage BMW. He was a big, fairly heavy set fella, and I remembered making a mental note of how small the old BMW looked under his frame.

As I followed behind him for several miles, I noticed that his bike seemd to track around a bit as if he was fighting some wind -- except there was no wind. I also noticed that he seemd to be hunched over the gas tank a little and although I couldn't be certain, I got the impression that he was unsteady on the bike and then I wondered if he had been riding all night.

After several miles of riding behind him, we were now in the City of Cour D Alene and he turned-off towards the onramp to the Interstate and I continued north on 93. By now, it was about 10:00 AM, and the traffic on the main drag of town was fairly heavy. About 10 minutes after the BMW rider turned off, I was waiting at a red light, surrounded by cages, when a fire truck and ambulance approached from the north, eventually passing my location and continuing south on 93.

I rode my route that day and eventually found a nice B&B near Seally Lake MT where I held up for the night. After dinner and some chit chat with some other guests, I headed for bed. As I usually do, I turned on the radio to listen to some talk radio before nodding off. When I turned on the radio, the news was on and within a few seconds, the news guy on the radio reported that a motorcyclist was killed in Cour D Alene this morning on the Interstate. Although they gave the rider's name and age, no further details of the incident were reported.

To this day, I suspect that it was the vintage BMW rider who appeared to be a bit wobbly on his bike that morning. I'll never know if it was him, but my gut tells me it was. I've wondered if he may have nodded off shortly after he got on the Interstate or maybe so tired that he failed to negotiate the transition?

Food for thought anyway. It was a haunting scenario in any event.

[squee22]

riding and driving tired are one of the worst things a person can do.... I often pull over at rest stops and take naps....


he may have been drunk too

[Redne Dab]

When was it? I'm in the area and can try to find out more.

[JustAL]

I did it once when I was young and stupid on an all night ride.

I dozed off and lapsed in and out over the course of 30 KM down the Geelong Freeway. I don't know how I made it but I've sworn never to be that stupid again. I'll always pull up and have a nap these days.

[Uncle Ernie]

More than once, I've heard a faraway voice calling, "Hey! Your eyes are shut!" and realized everything was black at 70 mph.
"Concentrating" doesn't help.
I take naps now.

[duck]

When I was younger and dumber, I went to a bachelor party in Wenatchee - a four hour ride on the mint condtion K75S I'd just bought a few months earlier. I knew the basics of how to ride as it was my third bike and I could ride pretty well. But I was 100% self-taught and had little, if any, riding wisdom.

So, I drank until about 5am with ny friend who was getting married. When I got up at 9:30, I was MASSIVELY hungover and justed wanted to be on the couch at home.

At 10, I hopped on my bike for the four hour ride home. Two hours later I woke up drifting onto the gravel shoulder at a little over 60. I knew enough to gradually ease off of the throttle a bit, use no brakes and try to gradually coax the bike back to the pavement. It didn't work, doing about 25-30 and still on the gravel I found the huge rock that took me out.

I ended up lowsiding on the right side on the gravel shoulder. My helmet didn't hit and I had very little damage to my non-ATGATT gear - hiking boots, Levis, thin leather bomber jacket and Olympia riding gloves. But my leg got trapped under the bike and I had a slight fracture to my tibial plateau.(knee)

All things considered, I came out with next to nothing for injuries. The beautiful bike I'd dreamed of owning for years did not fair so well. Trashed faring and belly pan, timing cover broken, bleeding oil all over. It was an easy total for a BMW. I never saw the bike again. Had it towed away, got ripped off by insurance on the bike and that was that.

I also got a nice 1st Degree Negligent(the next step down from a DWI) because I still reeked of beer from the night before despite showering and brushing my teeth that morning.

After that I gave up riding. Not because I was scared or anything. I'd just promised myself,somewhat jokingly, that if I ever had an accident and survived that I'd quit. I counted myself damned lucky and moved on.

Five years later I was scuba diving in Honduras and ran into an Aussie couple riding from Argentine to Alaska on an F650. Not sure why, but within a week of getting home I bought a K75RT and started touring a little and then A LOT.

Mostly because of the Internet, I started to look at motorcyling quite differently - I focused on learning all I could about safe riding habits and technique. I am now officially hooked for life.

The one thing that amazes me the most is the IBA tip about eating something sour when you get sleepy. It's amazing how a couple of super sour Skittles from the tank bag can wake you up. It's no a substitute for sleep but will get you to the next place to sleep.

And, if my eyes get lazy AT ALL, I'll immediately pull over (even on a freeway) take off my helmet and wake my brain back up before I get back on. It''s just not worth it.

In my 20s I used to do some MARATHON drives across the country and fell asleep quite a few times. It's a good thing I was immortal back then.

[wolfhead1]

I remember waking up at 60mph in my car in the correct lane.It was funny next day but I've thought about it lots the past 30 yrs.

Has anyone noticed the news blurbs about "tired driving"?I predict it will be the next DUI.A real revenue builder.

[rnr]

pushed myself way too far way too many times.

now, i look for the signs:

inability to concentrate

microsleep (brief slices of seconds when i can't remember something)

what cures it:

sugarless gum gets me to the next exit or rest stop.

a 15-30 minute nap — even in the middle of the day — works wonders.

so does hydrating with water.

in the middle of the night, both can be a life saver.

here's another thing: a nice long break, with a good meal, in a nice location, in the midst of a very long ride.

your brain needs to "defrag" from all the decisions, large and small, you make over the course of 500-1,000 miles.

[longrider999]

drifter,well its not youre fault this guy died.it may have been the old dude on the BEEMer but maybe not.just let it go.all you can do is RIDE youre own ride like you said you did.its a GREAT topic.we all need to know our LIMITS.

[WaywardSon]

I have averaged 30 to 40 thousand miles a year for most of my adult life...well over a million miles total. Most of that was on 4 wheels. I've had several close calls & have been lucky more than once. Many of the near accidents were the direct result of being too tired to drive or ride....trying to be smarter than that now.

Don't wait until you start to nod off. If you are feeling tired...do something. Get off...eat an apple or get some coffee, splash some water on your face. Jolt yourself awake long enough to get somewhere safe to get some sleep. If you are riding through the night, be aware that many of those that you are sharing the road with may be sleep deprived as well.

Try and be smart. Whatever it is, your destination will still be there tomorrow.

[P B G]

Last month I was driving my car behind a guy in an old mazda p/u.

He started swerving around in the lane, so I laid on the horn, saw his head jerk up and he centered in the lane.

10 miles later same thing, so I honked again, and called it in to the state popo. Followed him till the cop pulled him over, then left, cop probably just told him to pull off and take a nap, but who knows, could have been ticketed.

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by P B G

Last month I was driving my car behind a guy in an old mazda p/u.

He started swerving around in the lane, so I laid on the horn, saw his head jerk up and he centered in the lane.

10 miles later same thing, so I honked again, and called it in to the state popo. Followed him till the cop pulled him over, then left, cop probably just told him to pull off and take a nap, but who knows, could have been ticketed.

You may have saved his life.

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by Redne Dab

When was it? I'm in the area and can try to find out more.

It was the summer of 2004.

[munchmeister]

Originally Posted by duck

The one thing that amazes me the most is the IBA tip about eating something sour when you get sleepy. It's amazing how a couple of super sour Skittles from the tank bag can wake you up. It's no a substitute for sleep but will get you to the next place to sleep.

Altoids work pretty well too. I've pulled over and just laid on the top of a picnic table at a rest area, helmet and all, and just dozed for a few minutes, just to get some kinda rest. Sometimes I'll stand up on the pegs for a while just to get my ass off the seat and get blood flowing again. Amazin' how we can do this, be half asleep and drive as much as we do. But it'll catch up with you.

[P B G]

Originally Posted by Drifter

You may have saved his life.

Perhaps, I am not against ringing the cops in situations like that, think its silly to worry more about the person getting a ticket.

But I did keep driving incase the guy was pissed and wanted to find me.