What to think about before your road trip You may want to go home or start vacation right after finals. But wait! Little sleep, and driving at night with few breaks can cause a tragedy. Drowsy driving is just as dangerous as driving drunk. Like drugs or alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of a crash. Thus, before your trip, you should: Get a good night's sleep. The average person requires about 8 hours of sleep a night. Plan to drive during times of day when you are normally awake and stay overnight rather than traveling straight through. Avoid driving during your body's "down time." Take a mid-afternoon break and find a place to sleep between midnight and 6 AM. Get a companion for a long trip. Passengers can talk with you, help look for early warning signs of fatigue and provide a change of drivers when needed. ( If you don't have a companion, please try to carpool at Cornell Marketplace ) Schedule regular stops, every 100 miles or 2 hours. Avoid alcohol and medications that may impair performance. Alcohol interacts with fatigue; increasing its effects - just like drinking on an empty stomach. Consult your physicians or a local sleep disorders center for diagnosis and treatment if you suffer frequent daytime sleepiness, have difficulty sleeping at night often, and/or snore loudly every night. Source: National Sleep Foundation Where do you want to go from Ithaca? Q. I get plenty of sleep. True False Destination Miles Hours Needed Breaks New York City 223.7 4hrs.35min. 2 Boston 347.4 6hrs.47min. 3 Chicago 680.9 13hrs.3min. 6 Washington DC 353.5 7hrs.3min. 3 Philadelphia 230.8 4hrs.38min. 2 Baltimore 309.8 6hrs.2min. 3 Florida 1231.0 23hrs.45min. One Night * If you want to calculate miles and hours for your destination, try MAPQUEST Top of the Page Go Back to Home