Did you know that driving while drowsy is just as dangerous as driving under the influence? It’s true, and there’s plenty of data to back it up. Drowsy driving causes around 70,000 accidents each year, averaging 20-30% of all fatal crashes in the United States.
What are you supposed to do when you’re tired but need to drive, though? Everyone has obligations that need met and places to be, regardless of how much sleep they got the night before. Luckily, there are a handful of apps that help keep you awake while driving.
Anti Drowse
Available on iOS, Anti Drowse is a free app designed to keep you awake via alerts. You open the app, program the distance you’re traveling, and the app makes alert tones at various intervals to snap you out of your drowsiness.
The alarms run on unpredictable intervals, avoiding any monotonous pattern that you could tune out. There is one downside, however. You have to adjust your screen time settings to ensure your phone won’t fall asleep or the app will stop working.
Driver Alarm
This is another iOS app you can pick up for free. Driver Alarm relies on your phone’s camera to monitor you. If you start falling asleep or close your eyes, it sounds an alarm to wake you back up. You do need to make sure your phone’s camera is facing you, which requires a phone mount.
Drive Awake
You can find Drive Awake for both iOS and Android. It functions just like the Driver Alarm app above, using your phone’s camera to monitor your eyes. The app also used GPS to monitor your trip, alerting you to the nearest Café Amazon. Unfortunately, these locations are sparse for the time being.
Anti Sleep Driver
An Android-only app, Anti Sleep Driver utilizes findings from a French sleep study. The study found that blue light increases your alertness the same way a cup of coffee does, which includes your perception and reflexes. So, the app emits a solid stream of blue light from your phone.
While blue light can help keep you awake, it isn’t always enough for heavy fatigue. Some users also find the light too distracting. If you’re really feeling the effects of drowsiness, you should pull over before you need the help of car accident attorneys at Bowling Law.
Stay Awake While Driving
This is another Android-only app that offers plenty of stimulation through an incredibly simple concept. You choose your fatigue level and the app creates an interval for its alarm. You have to press a button on your screen before the alarm sounds.
The app reminds you when it’s time to press the button. If you fail to do so, then the alarm sounds and will not turn off until you press it. As long as you can handle the distraction of having to interact with the app, this is an excellent way to help you avoid an accident.