[chandrda]

Highway Hypnosis - The only place I experienced it is in US Interstate highways. I have driven 100s of 1000s of miles in US, Canada, UK and to some extent in Western Europe, but never experienced it anywhere else. Though have experienced fatigue, but not Highway Hypnosis. To me, both are totally different.

The 1st time it happened was in Florida interstate, I think the absolutely flat roads and flat landscape is what contributed. Car was on cruise at 70 MPH and I braked hard on the second lane. Luckily there no one behind and I was able to pull it on to the shoulders. I got into a kind of trance and was confused for a split as to what is happening and what am I supposed to do. Everything was moving very slowly and it felt like things are moving towards me rather than I, so braked hard.

Has never happened to me in Canada, UK or Europe. But I am not sure if the existing NH in India contribute to highway hypnosis. I get fatigue from the sheer amount of concentration I need to apply on the highway.

Regards

[NomadSK]

I believe highway hypnosis can happen when one’s subconscious mind takes over the control from the conscious mind and the driver goes in the autopilot mode.

I have been in that state while driving and after few hours of driving with the similar/monotonous landscape (while passing through a desert- empty quarter) on a cruise control, I felt like my car is stationary and the road below is going back and I continued driving till I had to refuel. I was zoned out completely for that entire duration.

I will not compare this hypnosis with fatigue, the former can set in anytime depending on the attention span, alertness, thoughts he's processing and the psychological condition of the person behind the wheel. Missing exits, not Remembering traffic signs, being absent minded or a sudden realization of speed bump can be few examples.

It’s like more of “ADAS” type systems and electronics in the vehicle taking additional controls, more chances of Hypnosis setting in while driving.

NomadSK

[sarkankur]

Highway hypnosis is real. It has happened to me as well.

Is it a major cause of accidents on the highways?

I don't think so.

Most of the crashes on the highways are a chain of events that happen sequentially. Breaking one or more events (links) in that chain can greatly reduce the risk of a crash. Highway hypnosis is just one of the links in that chain. Other factors, like fatigue, overconfidence, and distraction, tend to be the prime catalysts in crashes.

In most cases of highway hypnosis that have happened with me and my friends, we were mostly driving at night with everyone else sleeping. The dark road with the white patches tends to have an effect on the mind since we are mostly cruising in a monotonous pattern. We were mostly making the right calls, driving safely, and covering great distances without actually realising that we were doing so. It is as if we were sleepwalking, or rather, driving subconsciously.

Is there a way to avoid it?
Well, if we can have an engaging conversation with someone who is awake with us as we drive, take breaks in between for some coffee or to stretch out of the car just to break out of the pattern. Then it should be enough to avoid this.

However, if you ever feel sleepy or drowsy or if you are yawning frequently, then you are fatigued and should take a short break before you resume driving. Get a power nap or grab a cup of coffee. Ask your co-passenger to drive if they can, because fatigue and highway hypnosis are fatal combinations.


So never feel shy about taking that much-deserved short break, and keep driving safe.

[supermax]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

I understand the difference but the 'fix' is the same. It allows the brain to be stimulated by a different activity, like searching for a good (you see a shiny copper samovar/boiler) tea shop, then savouring that tea along with some snacks and conversations.

A 2 hour drive in a modern car has no chance of fatigue from an effort perspective but you can still experience highway hypnosis. It is something to keep an eye out for especially on featureless toll roads.

No, the fix is not at all the same. And fatigue doesn't need to be from the driving itself, but it can be a factor. If you have not slept well before the journey, attempting to engage in mental gymnastics, conversation, eating gutka, chugging tea/cofffee all only help to a point, and then the exhaustion plus boredom gets to a point of no return, and that's when it gets dangerous. Highway hypnosis on the other hand can happen even to fully rested people, and in such cases, some mental activity like conversation, or observing other things around the periphery can indeed help address the problem. And also, when you talk about motorways, freeways and faster highways like this Samruddhi road, it gets easy to stay on the road longer than 2 hours. If one doesn't turn the head around a bit etc, it's easy to get cramps and aches, even in fancy luxury cars.

Originally Posted by narayans80

How do you conciously pull yourself out when you don't realize you are in a trance. Having co passengers give you company is a good idea.

Indeed, having company is a good thing, as long as you don't get so deep into a conversation that you fail to retain adequate focus on the road But it gets a bit hard if a passenger sitting beside you dozes off, or worse, starts to snore! A good conversation is a nice way to get the brain to remain in charge, instead of putting itself into a low-powered autopilot mode.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Not only that, but labelling it as a MAJOR cause of road accidents = passing all the blame and responsibility completely to the driver, without accepting shortcomings of road design, driver training, etc.

And why would this Mahamarg be the only expressway to cause highway hypnosis (and so many crashes)? Why has no one ever said the multiple fatal crashes on the YEW or ALE or Purvanchal Expressway are due to highway hypnosis?

It's easy to drop a fancy sounding term and shift the blame away to other factors, or to label it 'act of god', when it's anything but that. The Samruddhi Mahamarg may be well designed (I've never been on it or experienced it first-hand), but most highways in India, even the faster ones, are poorly designed, have poor visibility, sudden curves, random places where all and sundry cross the main highway, lack of planning in lane and exit design etc. Signage is also inconsistent at best.

[redrobin520]

I have completed 14000km on my new car, and to give context I just started driving a last year before that I was hypermiling on my bike, I can say it's very real but not as dangerous as fatigue and sleepiness. I have only felt the hypnosis on bike ride but on car there is so much to do that I am continuously engaged. Keeping this car at 100kmph requires a lot of effort because of its power and no cruise control so that is one of the very engaging excercise.

I have a simple rule, just switch drivers and take a nap, but yesterday on my drive from Lko to Delhi via expressway I really felt it for the first time because I was the only driver in car and I needed to reach Delhi before the traffic starts to get high. At times I was wishing if I could sleep a little or give my eyes rest from the constant sunshine. I took two additional brakes than normally we would take.

[arunabh2424]

A short video in Youtube Regarding the same...

https://youtube.com/watch?v=SkJI_CTqhwI?feature=share