Can you go to sleep with your eyes open? A driver from Jackson, MS was headed toward Seattle, WA on Interstate 90. It was cold outside and he was glad his heater was working properly. 

He had an appointment for delivery at 5:30 AM and he could make it if he stayed after it. He had been on duty past his allowed hours of driving, but since he only liked 75 miles, he knew he could cover the log book. 

There were times that he was covering miles without remembering them but he kept pushing to make the appointment. Suddenly he was awakened by what appeared to be someone shaking him. He quickly assessed that there was no one with him and the tractor was careening down an embankment. 

He tried to steer, but the tractor entered a sharp climb sideways and rolled over. The next few seconds seemed like an eternity, however, the unit did eventually come to a halt. He was fortunate that his injuries consisted of a broken arm and severe bruising on his back and neck. 

A major detriment to successful driving is sleep. One must address sleep as synonymous with rest: 

   1.    Your mind can be so tired that it disengages your thought processes. A clear example is that you cover miles without remembering them. 

   2.    Second, you can be so tired that you can not sleep. A proper balance of rest is required for successful sleep. 

   3.    Lastly, driving past your allotted hours is planning for failure. It is not "if an accident occurs" but "when an accident occurs". 

That's the way I see it - Bob Hataway - TransAlive.