Every legal driver already knows that drinking alcohol and getting behind the wheel are two things that should never mix but how about another less known fact? According to a new study carried out at Loughborough University, dehydration can be just as dangerous. Here we discuss those findings and explain how best to remain hydrated before, during, and after your journey.
The Study
The results of this research were published in ‘Physiology and Behaviour', a journal that deals with how we act according to a number of different conditions. Apparently, when drivers are just a little dehydrated, they can make 100% more mistakes compared to ones who are not. The results uncovered this surprising set of facts and you may be shocked to learn that being in this state is comparable to drink driving.
Dehydration is Dangerous
The research was carried out using a driving simulator and a number of volunteer male drivers over a 2 day period. Each volunteer was given a number of typical driving manoeuvers to carry out and was given 200 ml of water to drink every hour throughout the test. On the second day, this amount was reduced to 25 ml per hour and this is where the mistakes started to creep in. Late braking, lane drifting, and all sorts of driving errors were noted by the dehydrated drivers. We already know that fatigue, headaches, and even short-term memory loss are the by-products of dehydration so why risk everything by adding driver error to that list?
Stay Hydrated Throughout the Day
Even if you are not planning to drive your vehicle on any given day, why risk these nasty side effects at all? Staying hydrated is surely one of the easiest things to remember to do and by installing a
water cooler or an instant hot water tap into your home, college or workplace; you can stay one step ahead of the game. Try to avoid sugary drinks because they are far less effective in the war against dehydration and stick to fresh filtered water. If you are taking a long car journey, always stop at least once per hour and ensure that you bring plenty of drinking water along to stay nicely hydrated until you reach that destination safely.
Source;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11547199/Not-drinking-enough-water-has-same-effect-as-drink-driving.html
