Most people drive alone routinely, and that’s okay. When you spend your time running errands and driving to work, it’s silly to take someone along who could be doing something else. But there are some times when you have to avoid driving by yourself, if possible.
First, avoid driving alone if there is any risk of fatigue. If you are driving late at night or you did not sleep enough the previous night, you could easily fall asleep or nod off while driving and endanger yourself and others. Even if you don’t fall asleep, you won’t be as alert as you should be. Ideally, if you’re fatigued, you should not drive at all – catch a cab and pick up your car the next day from wherever it’s parked, take a nap before driving, or ask a friend to drive you in your car. If none of these are available and you must go somewhere, take someone with you who can keep you alert and watch out for potential threats, even if that person isn’t a driver.
Short road trips by yourself can be fun, but if you’re taking a trip longer than about five hours, bring someone along. Not only will that person help prevent you from becoming fatigued, but he or she can also get help in the event of an emergency. The last thing you want to do is end up stranded somewhere, or worse, injured, after driving alone in a place you don’t know too well. If you need to drive somewhere by yourself for business and it’s a long trip, try finding an acquaintance who needs to go at least part of the way. You don’t need to bring a friend the whole way, but it’s best to have a second pair of eyes on a long trip.
Finally, if you can avoid it, never drive yourself to the hospital when you are ill. Even if you just have a bad respiratory infection, you might feel suddenly dizzy or sick, and that could cause you to lose control of the car, or worse, lose consciousness. We’ve even heard of some pregnant women who have driven themselves to the hospital after going into labor. Don’t drive yourself when you are feeling ill or uncomfortable! Find a friend, a neighbor, or call an ambulance, and avoid an emergency.
If you’re not in one of these three situations, go ahead! Enjoy your peaceful drive all by yourself.