Road Hypnosis Stopping Road Hypnosis Stopping White Line Fever Driving Safety
Road hypnosis is actually much more common than most people may think. More than likely, if you are reading this, you have experienced it yourself. How can you tell? If you have ever been driving on a somewhat long trip and suddenly realized that you are 50 or so miles farther than you thought, this is what has happened. You may not have even remember passing several towns ( usually on the Interstate, not going through the actual town).
To discuss how to prevent road hypnosis, we need to discuss how it happens. Just like getting hypnotized, different objects and environments can cause it. While driving there are 3 main culprits. Usually it is actually a combination of more than one of them that causes the hypnosis.
1. Snow: This is a big one. Obviously, it needs to be winter and snowing for this to happen. If you have ever driven while it is snowing, you will have noticed how the the falling snow mimics the warp drives in science fiction movies. Whether Star Trek or Star Wars, when they engage Warp Drive or Hyper Drive respectfully (both are faster than the speed of light travel) the stars look the same as the snow falling on the windshield of your car.
If you focus more on the snow than the road, you will get sucked into the patterns of the falling snow and may not notice that the road is turning or a car in front of you. It may sound silly but it happens all the time everywhere that it snows. Can you avoid this?
It is easy to avoid. Try to ignore the falling snow as much as possible. Focus on the road. This where the hazards are going to be. Similar to driving in a heavy fog, using the bright lights might actually make it worse. They are going to illuminate the wall of white snow and the individual snowflakes. If you have fog lights, use them. They light up the actual road under the falling snow. Low beams do the same thing.
2. The painted lines on the road: Truck drivers sometimes call it white line fever. If you are focusing on the lines painted on the road and not the road in front of you, you can become hypnotized. The dotted lines that separate the lanes are especially dangerous. They are evenly spaced. This is similar to a swinging watch or pendant that a hypnotist my use.
Avoiding this problem is another easy fix. Don't stare at the lines while you are driving. While you are suppose to do this anyway, many drivers don't (especially as they get older and set in bad habits). Scan left to right (and even up and down occasionally). Looking at both sides of the road in a scanning motions, as well as the road ahead of you) serves two safety purposes. It will let you know if danger is near, like a deer getting ready to cross the road in front of you, and give you eyes a rest from the never ending lines on both edges of your lane.
3. Concentration: This one is part of the previous two. You need to concentrate on the overall driving experience. Not on the snow, lines, power poles or anything else. Keep your eyes moving. This will keep you more alert. If you are tired (or relaxed when talking about hypnosis) you are more susceptible. Caffeine drinks may help a little bit, but they are not the answer. If you are so tired that you find yourself drifting off, stop for awhile and get some rest.
Most of the time road hypnosis will happen at night. Of course it can happen during the day but humans tend to be more tired in the dark. This makes it easier to make mistakes. Even with the steps that where given, the answer to stopping road hypnosis can be summed up in one word: concentrate. Concentrate on the overall driving experience. If this becomes difficult, either stop for awhile or let someone else have the wheel for a turn of driving.
Your safety, and the other people on the road, are worth more than you "getting there on time". Take a break. Get your concentration back. Grandma would much rather you be late for the holiday dinner than find out you are in the hospital because you had an accident on the way to her house.
