Top 5 Tips for Avoiding Highway Hypnosis (2024)
Highway hypnosis is the state a driver enters when they're not paying close attention to the road or what's happening around them. It can kick in as early as 20 minutes on a monotonous road. Our experts are here to help with several tips for avoiding highway hypnosis and its serious consequences.
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Laura D. Adams
Insurance & Finance Analyst
Laura Adams is one of the nation’s leading finance, insurance, and small business authorities. As an award-winning author, spokesperson, and host of the top-rated Money Girl podcast since 2008, millions of readers and listeners benefit from her practical advice. Her mission is to empower consumers to live healthy and rich lives by planning for the future and making smart money decisions. She rec...
Insurance & Finance Analyst
UPDATED: Jul 5, 2024
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Jul 5, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider. Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
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Imagine you’ve finished up work for the day, and you’re heading home. You get into your car and start down the same route you always take. Before you know it, you’ve pulled into your driveway. You don’t remember anything, not even if you followed traffic laws.
Highway hypnosis might sound mystical, but it’s a common experience most drivers have dealt with. This phenomenon occurs when you zone out while driving and muscle memory kicks in. Usually, drivers experiencing highway hypnosis follow traffic laws, but it can cause serious problems.
Is highway hypnosis dangerous? Yes, from damage to your vehicle to increased collision auto insurance rates, it’s best to avoid falling under the effects of highway hypnosis. Read on to learn about highway hypnosis, our tips for avoiding highway hypnosis, and how it might affect the price of your car insurance.
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- Highway hypnosis occurs when a driver’s attention slips from the road and they can’t remember the actions they took while driving
- Although highway hypnosis is a common experience, it can be incredibly dangerous
- Highway hypnosis is different from driver fatigue, though they often coincide with each other
What is highway hypnosis and how can it be avoided?
Highway hypnosis is a common phenomenon most drivers experience at least once, and it’s been around almost as long as people have been driving. It was first described as road hypnotism in 1921 when researchers noticed drivers could safely steer their cars even though they appeared to be sleeping with their eyes open.
Since then, psychologists have researched this phenomenon extensively. Also known as white line fever, highway hypnosis occurs when you operate your car normally but have no memory of doing so. Drivers can zone out for a few seconds or hundreds of miles under highway hypnosis.
Many drivers are anxious after experiencing highway hypnosis. They have no idea if they used turn signals, stopped at red lights, or even if they put other drivers in danger. Worse, you often can’t tell you’re experiencing highway hypnosis until after snapping out of it.
What are the indicators of highway hypnosis? There are some symptoms you can look for. If you experience the following, you might be close to highway hypnosis:
- Wandering thoughts
- Drowsiness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling dazed or dull
- Slower reaction times
People typically realize they’ve been under highway hypnosis when they miss an exit on the freeway or pull into their driveway without remembering how they got there.
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Is highway hypnosis the same as driving while fatigued?
Tired driving and highway hypnosis are not the same, though being sleepy is often a cause of white-line fever.
Highway hypnosis is a type of automaticity. Automaticity is the phenomenon behind muscle memory – when you can perform an action successfully without thinking about it. One of the most basic automatic actions people perform is walking. It can also happen during bike riding and physical activities that have been practiced extensively.
The automatic part of highway hypnosis might seem dangerous, but it’s typically harmless. As with all practiced skills, you don’t usually need to focus your thoughts on repetitive tasks. Scanning for dangers, obeying traffic lights, and following a route typically don’t require much brainpower for experienced drivers.
If you have been caught breaking traffic laws while driving drowsy, you might be wondering: “Does Running a Red Light Increase Auto Insurance Rates?”
Usually, a moving violation will add points to your driving record and increase your insurance rates. In addition to keeping you and everyone around you safe, this should be another reason to motivate you to pull over when you start to feel drowsy while driving.
Read more: DMV Points vs. Insurance Points Defined
The danger of highway hypnosis comes from symptoms related to being tired. According to the CDC, drowsy driving is often equated to driving drunk and is a leading cause of traffic accidents.
Tired drivers usually experience tunnel vision, which limits their ability to notice other cars and traffic obstacles. Being tired also slows your reaction time and reduces your coordination.
Why does highway hypnosis happen?
What causes highway hypnosis? Although sleepiness is often a cause of highway hypnosis, it’s not the only cause.
A leading cause is monotonous roads. Anyone who’s driven through states like Oklahoma or Texas on the I-40 can attest that long stretches in the same landscape can lead to highway hypnosis. Researchers have found that hypnosis starts as early as 20 minutes on a monotonous road.
Another factor lies in how the human brain processes information. Your eyes relay information to your brain, which your brain turns into a visual map of your surroundings. When you drive on a road you know well (or the road is monotonous), your brain doesn’t pay as much attention to retinal feedback.
Instead, your brain starts predicting what will happen. Once your brain starts predicting, highway hypnosis typically follows.
Of course, driver fatigue is one of the leading causes of hypnosis. Monotonous or familiar roads lower your brain’s alertness, but so does sleepiness.
Five Tips for Avoiding Highway Hypnosis
Although driving on autopilot comes with experience, it’s usually best to avoid highway hypnosis. This is especially true when you’re on a long road trip.
Avoiding highway hypnosis is critical to protect the life of yourself and those around you, but it’s also important for other reasons. For example, you’re more likely to cause an accident when you’re feeling the effects of highway hypnosis.
At-fault accidents can lead to costly repairs for your car, expensive medical bills, and increased car insurance rates.
What is a good way to avoid highway hypnosis? When you notice yourself experiencing highway hypnosis, the best thing to do is get off the road for the night. However, that’s not always possible. If you find yourself under the effects of white-line fever, use the following tips to get back on track.
Tip #1: Get Enough Sleep
While this won’t help you during hypnosis, getting enough rest before a trip is a simple way to help keep your mind focused on driving.
Adults require around seven hours of sleep to function properly, while teens need eight. A good night’s rest can make the difference between staying alert and succumbing to drowsiness.
If you don’t get the right amount of sleep, try driving during sunlight hours. Driving in low light makes it more difficult to drive safely. It’s also a contributing factor to drowsiness while you drive.
Even if you get enough sleep, you can become drowsy on certain medications. So it’ll pay to check what you’re taking and plan accordingly, because if you cause an accident when you’re asleep at the wheel, filing a claiim could drive up your auto insurance rate as much as 82%.Schimri Yoyo Licensed Agent & Financial Advisor
For more information about drowsy driving, read, Is falling asleep at the wheel covered by insurance?
Tip #2: Take a Break
Modern society has people sitting in place for longer periods than ever before. From office jobs to long drives, experts agree that frequent breaks are essential for your health.
When it comes to driving, you should try to stop every hour or two to stretch, get your blood flowing, and clear your head. Try to go to the bathroom or grab a snack and a drink before getting back in the car.
If you’re struggling with sleepiness but can’t stop driving, a caffeinated beverage like coffee or green tea can help. When you can’t keep your eyes open, you should try to rest. Either spend the night in a nearby hotel or consider a short nap in your car if you have no other option. For more information, read, Where can I legally sleep in my car?
Tip #3: Talk to Someone
If you have passengers in your car, strike up a conversation. Talking with someone can help your brain stay focused rather than slide off into daydreams. It can also help stave off the lull of sleep.
If you’re traveling with others in your vehicle, perhaps passengers could take turns driving. Read our article, Does auto insurance cover someone else driving my car?
As long as you have a safe hands-free device, you can also make a phone call. In fact, if you have a long trip ahead of you, it can be beneficial to have someone on standby to call when focusing gets difficult.
If there’s no one you can talk to, you can always talk to yourself. Alternatively, turn on the radio or the best 1990s road trip playlist and sing along with your favorite songs.
Tip #4: Make an Environment Change
There are several things you can do in your car to increase your ability to focus. Consider the following:
- Turn on the AC. It might not be comfortable, but cool air keeps your brain alert.
- Roll down the window. The feeling of fresh air blowing on your face will also help you stay awake.
- Turn on music. Upbeat, energetic music or an engaging podcast can give your mind a reason to stay awake. Make sure to avoid music that makes you sleepy.
- Keep your seat upright. While it might be tempting to lower your seat for comfort, keeping your head upright can help stimulate your brain to focus.
You should also avoid seat warmers and anything else that increases your chances of falling asleep. It might not be the most comfortable, but it will help keep you safe. If you have to travel in the dark, these are excellent tips for avoiding highway hypnosis at night.
Tip #5: Skip Big Meals
Notice how you feel drowsy after a large meal? Our last tip on how to avoid highway hypnosis is to try to avoid a big meal before you get behind the wheel of your car, especially if you have a long way to go.
Drowsiness happens after a big meal because your body focuses its resources on breaking down the food. The more you eat, the more energy goes to your digestive tract.
Healthy snacks to help keep you awake while driving include bananas, apples, blueberries, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, nuts, and even chewing gum.Merriya Valleri Insurance and Finance Writer
However, a little bit of food can be helpful. A healthy snack can keep your energy levels up, and your mind focused on the task of driving.
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Is driving with highway hypnosis illegal?
Driving while experiencing highway hypnosis is not illegal, similar to how there’s nothing stopping you from driving while exhausted. However, you can be held legally liable for damage you cause while under the effects of highway hypnosis.
For example, if you cause an accident that results in a fatality, you can be charged with criminal negligence for not pulling over when you should have.
You can also be charged with reckless driving if you swerve into someone else’s lane or fail to use your turn signal. Driving while tired or feeling highway hypnosis isn’t illegal, but it can lead to disastrous results. If you’re worried about your driving, your best bet is to stop driving as soon as possible.
Related: Has the pandemic ruined our safe driving practices?
Tips for Avoiding Highway Hypnosis: The Bottom Line
Now that you’ve learned some methods of how you can avoid highway hypnosis, you can lower the threat to you as the driver, your passengers, and other drivers around you. White line fever lowers your ability to react to the dangers of the road, which can lead to accidents, medical bills, and increased insurance rates. In fact, a single at-fault accident can raise your rates by almost 50%.
If your car insurance rates have increased after an accident caused by highway hypnosis, there are ways to find cheap auto insurance after an accident. One of the most crucial first steps to take is to compare rates with other companies to make sure you get the best price possible.
Enter your ZIP code below and start to compare auto insurance rates for free today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is highway hypnosis?
Highway hypnosis, also known as white line fever, is a trance-like state that occurs when a driver becomes so focused on the road ahead that they lose awareness of their surroundings. It often happens during long, monotonous drives, and can be dangerous as it impairs a driver’s ability to react to sudden changes on the road.
How can I avoid highway hypnosis?
Here are some tips to avoid highway hypnosis:
- Take regular breaks: Make sure to take breaks every couple of hours during long drives to give your mind a chance to rest and rejuvenate.
- Stay engaged: Keep your mind actively engaged while driving by listening to music, audiobooks, or podcasts, or by engaging in conversation with passengers.
- Use visual cues: Pay attention to your surroundings and use visual cues, such as landmarks or road signs, to help maintain your focus.
- Maintain good posture: Sitting in a comfortable and upright position can help you stay alert and avoid fatigue.
Are there any specific warning signs of highway hypnosis?
Yes, some common warning signs of highway hypnosis include:
- Difficulty remembering the last few miles driven
- Missing exits or turns
- Drifting between lanes
- Feeling drowsy or fatigued
- Eyes feeling heavy or having difficulty keeping them open
Does highway hypnosis only occur on highways?
While highway hypnosis got its name due to its association with long highway drives, it can occur on any type of road, especially during long, monotonous drives. It is important to remain vigilant and take steps to avoid becoming too absorbed in the act of driving.
Does insurance cover accidents caused by highway hypnosis?
Insurance coverage for accidents caused by highway hypnosis depends on the specific terms and conditions of your insurance policy. Generally, if you have auto insurance, it should cover accidents regardless of the cause, as long as you have the appropriate coverage.
However, it’s always recommended to review your policy and speak with your insurance provider to understand the coverage details.
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Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap auto insurance rates.
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Laura D. Adams
Insurance & Finance Analyst
Laura Adams is one of the nation’s leading finance, insurance, and small business authorities. As an award-winning author, spokesperson, and host of the top-rated Money Girl podcast since 2008, millions of readers and listeners benefit from her practical advice. Her mission is to empower consumers to live healthy and rich lives by planning for the future and making smart money decisions. She rec...
Insurance & Finance Analyst
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.