warning signs of fatigue Page 275

Fatigue behind the wheel doesn’t kick the door in; it sneaks up wearing slippers. Classic red flags include constant yawning, heavy eyelids, and those sneaky “microsleeps” where a few seconds vanish like socks in the wash. You might drift in your lane, miss turns or signs, react slowly to hazards, or forget the last few kilometres entirely. Mood and judgement slide too—irritability, sloppy decisions, and variable speed are dead giveaways. If any of that crops up, you’re not proving a point; you’re running on empty. Pull over, power-nap or swap drivers, and save the heroics for the barbecue stories.