Pick-up driver, 39, dead after hitting barrier - another case of "lap nai" or microsleep

[webfact]

 

Police captain Phaisan Weerakitphanich of the Suvarnabhumi Airport police responded after reports of a pick-up hitting a barrier outside Central Village shopping center on Sai 3. 

 

An Isuzu with Udon Thani plates had hit a barrier and ended up in a roadside ditch.

 

The driver was pulled from behind the steering wheel when Poh Teck Tung recue reached the scene but despite 30 minutes of CPR he could not be revived and was presumed dead since the accident occurred. 

 

He was Yongyuth Sihanet, 39, from Nakhon Ratchasima. 

 

Witnesses said the pick-up was going straight when it suddenly veered off course for apparently no reason.

 

Police suspect a case of "lap nai" - microsleep. 

 

SLEEPY - Stop and rest

 

Signs are in place in Thai language all over Thailand warning of the danger of dropping off at the wheel. 

 

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[RandiRona]

Sounds more like "Lapse Nai".

[toofarnorth]

Looking at the picture he certainly dropped off.  I wonder if he was wearing a seat belt.

[JoePai]

Well he won't do that again !

[Catoni]

3 hours ago, JoePai said:

Well he won't do that again !

Wells he might….if there is reincarnation. After all, Thailand is a Buddhist country.  He could make the same mistake in his next life. 

[Road Warrior]

sadly in for a very long" non lap :   

[hotchilli]

Micro sleep to a long sleep in a  nano second.

[pokerface1]

Don't know how they  can  nod off driving at high speed but seems like they can. 

[KanchanaburiGuy]

Of course, the police have no way of knowing if this is what happened. It's not a bad guess, but an autopsy may reveal there was a stroke or heart attack, instead.

 

What do they say? 25% of the time, the first outward sign that a person has a heart problem is death? (But maybe that's old information?)

 

Microsleeps are incredibly common and can happen at any time, ever during stressful situations.

 

Sleep is a biological need and it's extremely strong. If sleep deprived----as many people are on a daily basis!----your body might grab any opportunity it can to get some sleep.

 

Ultimately, there are very few things our bodies absolutely need; things without which we die! Air, food, water........and sleep. That's it!

And on that list, sleep comes in #3. Biologically speaking, we can go quite a bit longer without food than we can go without sleep!

 

And the scary part about driving and microsleeps? Almost everyone has had them, at one time or another. 

 

Ever experienced a "head-bob" while driving? That's a microsleep! A "head-bob" is not a sign you are falling asleep. A "head-bob" means you've ALREADY  fallen asleep! And until you jerk back to wakefulness? No one is driving the car!

 

Snarky comments aside, this is pretty serious stuff. In the U.S., when sleepy truck drivers cause fatal accidents, on average, its not the truck drivers themselves who get killed. On average, it's three OTHER PEOPLE who get killed!

 

If you're feeling sleepy, pull over, take a nap! A 20-minute nap is a whole lot better than a lifetime dead! 

 

>> Had a "head-bob?" Pull over!

 

>> Yawned 3 times in 5 minutes? Pull over!

 

Don't wait until your body chooses for you, because at some point, it will! Make the choice yourself!

 

Cheers!

[Bangkok Barry]

It isn't a micro-sleep. It's not concentrating on what you are doing. If you were doing that then you wouldn't fall asleep. We would call it day-dreaming in our society.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It isn't a micro-sleep. It's not concentrating on what you are doing. If you were doing that then you wouldn't fall asleep. We would call it day-dreaming in our society.

Sorry, but you can no more say it WASN'T a micro-sleep than the police can say it was. Only the person driving the truck, or someone who was riding with them who happened to see the driver immediately before the crash can say. 

 

But microsleeps are incredibly common, and they have absolutely nothing to do with "concentration." In fact, heavy concentration is more likely to CAUSE a micro-sleep, than to prevent one! 

 

Ever fall asleep watching TV or reading a book? Was it because you weren't "concentrating?" 

 

Sleep is a drive, like hunger or thrist. And like hunger or thirst, the longer you've gone without, the more strongly your body prioritizes getting some. 

 

Can "daydreams" ALSO cause accidents? Sure they can! But then we need to clarify WHAT KIND of "daydreaming" has occurred. Because "daydreaming" CAN BE, as you describe, a simple lack of focus---a loss of concentration. 

 

But "daydreaming" can also mean you lapsed into stage-1 sleep! And what is stage-1 sleep? Stage-1 sleep is the kind of sleep where, when someone says, "Are you asleep?" you sputter and say, "No, no, I'm awake!" But you weren't! 555

 

The transition from wakefulness to sleep is instantaneous. But stage-1 sleep can leave you very aware of your surroundings and circumstances, still. It may not involve the complete disconnect we usually associate with sleep. So a person can lapse into stage-1 sleep and not even be aware of it. But if they do....... no one is driving the car! 

[Bangkok Barry]

3 minutes ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

Sorry, but you can no more say it WASN'T a micro-sleep than the police can say it was.

I didn't. I simply said that micro-sleep is actually day-dreaming. As to the rest of what you write, Thais are renown for not being able to concentrate for long periods, which is probably why we read daily stories of people falling asleep at the wheel (day-dreaming/mind wandering off) in Thailand but rarely anywhere else.

[it is what it is]

 

Signs are in place in Thai language all over Thailand warning of the danger of dropping off at the wheel. 

 

how are drivers expected to read warning signs if they're asleep?

[RobU]

On 2/17/2022 at 9:37 AM, pokerface1 said:

Don't know how they  can  nod off driving at high speed but seems like they can. 

 

10 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It isn't a micro-sleep. It's not concentrating on what you are doing. If you were doing that then you wouldn't fall asleep. We would call it day-dreaming in our society.

Micro sleep is a well documented phenomenon it can happen at any speed, concentration does not lapse whilst the person is awake they simply 'drop off and the eyelids close' usually because they drive after having a poor nights sleep or have been driving for too long on a boring long distance drive, akin to a form of self hypnosis. There was a high profile TV and Poster campaign in the UK warning of this and there are signs at regular intervals on all UK motorways stating 'Take a break' or 'Don't Drive Tired'

[Mr Meeseeks]

On 2/17/2022 at 4:37 PM, pokerface1 said:

Don't know how they  can  nod off driving at high speed but seems like they can. 

Just an excuse for their inability to drive.

[NE1]

On 2/17/2022 at 9:24 AM, webfact said:

Signs are in place in Thai language all over Thailand warning of the danger of dropping off at the wheel. 

There are also traffic lights , speed limit signs , no left turn , no right turn , stop signs , give way signs .

They never take any notice of then either !

[Lacessit]

On 2/17/2022 at 6:18 PM, KanchanaburiGuy said:

 

If you're feeling sleepy, pull over, take a nap! A 20-minute nap is a whole lot better than a lifetime dead! 

 

>

 

 

Good advice. I used to drive 1000 km in a day in Australia, and I'd pull over for a 20 minute nap if I had the symptoms you describe. I still do in Thailand, for shorter distances.

 

A dangerous time to be driving is just after a heavy meal, because the body is taking away blood from the brain, and directing it to the digestive system. Even more if the meal includes alcohol, which is a depressant.

[JeffersLos]

 

I was overtaken by this exact speeding pickup just today!

 

And yesterday, and the day before, and every single day I drive on the roads here.

 

[NE1]

Round our bit they usually drive faster when they are fully laden , trying to beat all the other fully laden pick ups heading to the large markets.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/17/2022 at 4:37 PM, pokerface1 said:

Don't know how they  can  nod off driving at high speed but seems like they can. 

Where did it say that he was driving at high speed?

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/18/2022 at 4:08 PM, Bangkok Barry said:

On 2/18/2022 at 3:58 PM, KanchanaburiGuy said:

Sorry, but you can no more say it WASN'T a micro-sleep than the police can say it was.

I didn't. I simply said that micro-sleep is actually day-dreaming.

You got that wrong, also, day dreaming is not the same as microsleep!

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/19/2022 at 8:40 PM, Mr Meeseeks said:

On 2/17/2022 at 4:37 PM, pokerface1 said:

Don't know how they  can  nod off driving at high speed but seems like they can. 

Just an excuse for their inability to drive.

Just another excuse for a Thai-bash from you.  Microsleeps happen to drivers in your country also!

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/19/2022 at 10:32 PM, JeffersLos said:

 

I was overtaken by this exact speeding pickup just today!

Where was it reported that it was speeding?