Don't drive while tired

[damnpoor]

I work night shift with a guy who also rides a bike. We get off work at 2am, and he has an 85 mile ride back to his house through the middle of nowhere. Last night after we left work he crashed his bike. I talked to him this morning and he is in pain but in one piece. He said he fell asleep for a moment while going around a bend, and before he could do anything it was too late. He went over a divider and into a field, and a passing trucker called 911. He'd been driving that route for a long time, and today he said, "I knew I was going to crash sooner or later, I just didn't know when." He's lucky there wasn't other traffic and he's lucky he landed in a field.

So I wanted to take this chance to remind you all not to ride when you're tired. He knows the road, he knows his bike, but you can't see the road and you can't control your bike when your eyes are closed. He said the cops estimated 50-60mph when he hit the divider. So now he's out of work for a while and a 2008 Ninja 650R is in the junk yard.

[Nelly]

I am glad your buddy is OK. I also work some night shifts and can honestly say that at times the short drive home is harder than the shift itself. Its such a tough thing to weigh up in real world terms. I have pulled over a number of times and had a quick sleep.
Not on the bike though.

Nelly

[Factorymx]

glad to hear he made it out in one piece an 85 mile trip at 2am after work is not easy

[Scorphonic]

I did the exact same thing last Friday, working in a research lab means its generally go go go all the time and so my sleep does suffer from time to time. I was almost home (after a 100 mile drive) and I woke up when the bike began to drive in the hard shoulder and i was driving on rumble strips because that stretch of hard shoulder was actually a merging lane for other traffic....scared the life out of me...but it kept me awake for the remainder of the journey.

Lesson to learn from that: SLEEP BEFORE DRIVING, NOT DURING!!! I wont forget that in a hurry!!

Glad to hear your work mate is fine, for the sake of a few hours sleep you can keep yourself alive, instead of spending a lifetime in an eternal sleep.

[Cloned]

That's pretty scary. It's a shame about his bike, too. Good that he's okay.

A couple of days ago I was making my home on a two hour drive. I was in that state where everything felt like a dream, then next thing I know I was halfway over the shoulder, the rumble strips woke me up. I was only asleep for a couple of seconds, but that could have been deadly especially on a bike. I had to pull over on the next exit and grab some food and coffe to wake me up.

[grumpy1luvs2eat]

My story borders on STUPIDITY. In my younger days, I was at a party with some buds and they gave me a Seconal, after a half hoiur, I was not feeling it so they gave me another. DUH! Soon I got bored and got on my 160 Honda and blasted off. I woke up with my head bouncing on the tank and flying down the road with the bike redlined in third gear. I pulled off and lay fdown under an overpass well off the road. Cured me off drugs real quick. It was a beer now and then. I still do not drive or ride while impaired. Don't want to be thatscared again, GRUMPY

[davidsa1]

I would be driving my car all the time if I worked a shift like that with a 85 mile ride home...

[koolfz6]

Glad your buddy is ok. It could have been worse.

One thing they taught us in safety class is rider readiness. I always ask myself if i am ready to ride or am i too tired. There has been a couple of time i took the cage instead of the bike due to being tired.

[wrightme43]

Dang it man.

Thats good advice and has been said 1000s of times but we still need to hear it.

Glad he is ok.

[Keits]

Originally Posted by damnpoor

I work night shift with a guy who also rides a bike. We get off work at 2am, and he has an 85 mile ride back to his house through the middle of nowhere. Last night after we left work he crashed his bike. I talked to him this morning and he is in pain but in one piece. He said he fell asleep for a moment while going around a bend, and before he could do anything it was too late. He went over a divider and into a field, and a passing trucker called 911. He'd been driving that route for a long time, and today he said, "I knew I was going to crash sooner or later, I just didn't know when." He's lucky there wasn't other traffic and he's lucky he landed in a field.

So I wanted to take this chance to remind you all not to ride when you're tired. He knows the road, he knows his bike, but you can't see the road and you can't control your bike when your eyes are closed. He said the cops estimated 50-60mph when he hit the divider. So now he's out of work for a while and a 2008 Ninja 650R is in the junk yard.

Wow Glad your co-worker is gonna be OK. I also work a lot of shift work Mid's, evenings and days and have had a couple close calls just trying to make the 15 min drive home. I've read (don't know where) that driving or riding while tired can impair you as much if not more than alcohol. Definately food for thought. Ride Safe!!