How does fatigue influence your driving ability?

Fatigue significantly reduces reaction time and overall alertness, which are critical factors in safe driving. When a driver is fatigued, their cognitive functions diminish, leading to slower processing of information and impaired judgment. This means that the driver may not be able to respond as quickly to unexpected situations, such as a sudden stop by another vehicle or a pedestrian crossing the road. Furthermore, fatigue can lead to lapses in attention and even micro-sleeps, where the driver briefly falls asleep without realizing it, dramatically increasing the risk of accidents. Understanding the effects of fatigue is essential for maintaining safe driving practices, especially in the high-stakes environment of operating a tractor-trailer, where large vehicle dynamics come into play.