Some safety tips for night driving

1. Always get plenty of rest before the trip starts.

2 .Re-adjust your body clock the night before by staying up all night then sleeping all day if you will be driving at night.

3. Let the customers know that you will be following Arrow's strict policy of stopping every 2 hours after midnight for a

15 minute coffee break. Do this religiously.

4. Ginsing pills are a great natural way to get instant energy if you feel drowsy. They are also natural and will not cause

any type of addiction.

5. It is a good idea if possible, and there are a few empty seats, to not let anyone sleep in the seat directly behind you. It can make you drowsy as sleep is in a subtle way contagious. Try it and see for yourself the benefits of not having sleepers behind you. In the passenger's mind they think it is safer for the leader to be right behind you so that they can rush to the rescue should you fall asleep, but the reality is that they are really creating an unsafe situation for the other passengers. Be polite but firm in explaining why they should leave that seat behind you vacant at night. They can sleep to the right side if they want by the door.

6. It is a good idea to keep the coach cool and not overly warm while night driving as this can also lead to getting too comfortable. More than likely the passengers will have with them blankets from home.

7. Carry some oregano oil with you that you buy at the health food stores. After drinking that there is no way you can fall asleep for several hours. It is the most powerful natural anti-boitic on the planet as well, and will protect you from the people that sit behind you and cough on you. It is a great protector from colds; flu's; etc. Put one dropper full in a bottle of juice and it is guaranteed to keep you awake for at least 3 hours.

8.Everyone knows that the danger times are between the hours of 4 am and 6 am. Just before dawn. Usually this is when you are most ll likely to make errors in judgement.

9. Our primary goal is to get the passengers safely from point A to point B. No matter what the cost, never let your guard down while driving at night. If you are too tired to drive then don't. Pull over and rest for a while. They may be late, but they will be alive and safe.

10. If you have a cold or are not feeling well do not accept a night trip as you must be at your best to successfully complete it to everyone's satisfaction.

11. Stay safe always even if you have to ruffle a few feathers.

Submitted by Chris Lancaster

Here are some tips from Autotrader.com, mayoclinic.org, weather.com, road and travel.com

1. Make sure your headlights are properly aimed. Check with your car's service manual or a professional for the proper procedure. Also make sure all other lights work.

2,Keep your headlights and windshield clean. Being able to see other cars and be seen by other drivers helps a lot! If it's bug season, stop and wipe them off at each break.

3.Don't overdrive your headlights. Especially when driving on smaller roads without reflector strips, follow a four-second rule. Take note of where the far reach of your low beams are, then count four seconds. If you pass that original place in less than four seconds, then you are going too fast. Two to three seconds may be an acceptable range for major highways with reflector strips. Remember that posted speed limits are for driving in daylight with dry road conditions. Try to stick with well-lit roads. If you must drive on dark roads, don't overdrive your headlights.

4.Use high beams wisely. The use of high-beam headlights when there isn't oncoming traffic can extend the time that you have to react to hazards. Never use your high beams because the high beams of the oncoming car stay on. This will only increase the chances of a head-on crash.

5.Don't look at oncoming headlights. Focus on the edges of oncoming traffic and bright objects, as staring directly into headlights can blind you for up to five seconds until your eyes adjust.

6.Look around. Keep your eyes moving from side to side, rather than focusing only on the centerline and the road ahead, to help your eyes stay adjusted to the dark and avoid falling victim to "highway hypnosis," a state in which reaction time is greatly impaired.

7.Wear sunglasses during the day. Wearing sunglasses during bright days helps keep your eyes more sensitive for driving in the dark.

8.If you're tired, get off the road and sleep.

9.Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicle's speeds and distances at night.

10.Adjust your vehicle's interior lighting - if streetlights cause a lot of glare, dim your dashboard lights and use your sun visor. Avoid using any other light inside your vehicle.

11.Allow cars behind you to pass if you're bothered by glare from their headlights.

12.Ask your eye care provider about anti-reflective coatings for glasses.

FOODS

For students and working adults, high protein, medium-carbohydrate meals are best eaten for breakfast and lunch. For dinner and bedtime snacks, eat a meal or snack that is high in complex carbohydrates, with a small amount of protein that contains just enough tryptophan to relax the brain. An all- carbohydrate snack, especially one high in junk sugars, is less likely to help you sleep. You'll miss out on the sleep-inducing effects of tryptophan, and you may set off the roller-coaster effect of plummeting blood sugar followed by the release of stress hormones that will keep you awake. The best bedtime snack is one that has both complex carbohydrates and protein, and perhaps some calcium. Calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods.

SNOOZE FOODS

These are foods high in the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan:

Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk

Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts

Seafood

Meats

Poultry

Whole grains

Beans

Rice

Hummus

Lentils

Hazelnuts, Peanuts

Eggs

Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds

BEST BEDTIME SNACKS

Foods that are high in carbohydrates and calcium, and medium-to-low in protein also make ideal sleep-inducing bedtime snacks. Some examples:

apple pie and ice cream (my favorite)

whole-grain cereal with milk

hazelnuts and tofu

oatmeal and raisin cookies, and a glass of milk

peanut butter sandwich, ground sesame seeds (It takes around one hour for the tryptophan in the foods to reach the brain, so don't wait until right before bedtime to have your snack.)

BEST DINNERS FOR SLEEP

Meals that are high in carbohydrates and low-to-medium in protein will help you relax in the evening and set you up for a good night's sleep. Try the following "dinners for sleep":

pasta with parmesan cheese

scrambled eggs and cheese

tofu stirfry

hummus with whole wheat pita bread

seafood, pasta, and cottage cheese

meats and poultry with veggies

tuna salad sandwich

chili with beans, not spicy

sesame seeds (rich in tryptophan) sprinkled on salad with tuna chunks, and whole wheat crackers

Lighter meals are more likely to give you a restful night's sleep. High-fat meals and large servings prolong the work your digestive system needs to do, and all the gas production and rumblings may keep you awake.

Some tips from other drivers

1. Chew gum

2. Eat nuts

3. Take deep breaths / cough / laugh

4. Sit up, don't lean on the seat

5. Sing to yourself or start an argument with yourself.

6. A trucker suggested holding a $100 bill out the window until you can get to the next place to take a break.