SlashWylde
21st December 2005, 16:27
OK folks, here's a little anecdote I thought I might share with you all in the name of safety and longevity:
Ranzer and I left the Taupo track day last Sunday at about 15:00 to ride back to Auckland. It rained sporadically throughout the trip and shortly after leaving Taupo we ended up sitting behind a couple of 3 to 4 tonne lorries. Well these clunkers were a bit on the sooty side but I diddn't think much of it and since they were averaging over 90kph in the pouring rain I didn't have any real desire to pass them.
After a while I started to feel a bit drowsy and innatentive, but I put it down to the crappy sleep I got the night before in the motel bunk. The feeling kept getting worse and I thought "man, this isn't good. I should pull over or something" but doggedly kept on going.
Thankfully a passing lane opened up and they slowed down a bit which made it worth passing so Ranzer overtook them and I followed suit.
Well blow me down if in the next five minutes I diddn't freshen-up and get a clear head! "Shit!" I thought, it must have been the CO from the truck fumes putting me to sleep.
When we got to Tokoroa we stopped at a BP & I grabbed a cup of coffe to perk me up a bit then carried on, doing 1 hour runs, then stopping for 5 mins to stretch the legs.
It's quite scary now that I think about it. I guess we were behind those trucks for about 3/4 of an hour? My eyelids were fully closing and I was obviously so stupified that I diddn't realise what was happening and that I definately should have pulled over for a breather.
Just another trap to be wary of.
-SW
Ranzer and I left the Taupo track day last Sunday at about 15:00 to ride back to Auckland. It rained sporadically throughout the trip and shortly after leaving Taupo we ended up sitting behind a couple of 3 to 4 tonne lorries. Well these clunkers were a bit on the sooty side but I diddn't think much of it and since they were averaging over 90kph in the pouring rain I didn't have any real desire to pass them.
After a while I started to feel a bit drowsy and innatentive, but I put it down to the crappy sleep I got the night before in the motel bunk. The feeling kept getting worse and I thought "man, this isn't good. I should pull over or something" but doggedly kept on going.
Thankfully a passing lane opened up and they slowed down a bit which made it worth passing so Ranzer overtook them and I followed suit.
Well blow me down if in the next five minutes I diddn't freshen-up and get a clear head! "Shit!" I thought, it must have been the CO from the truck fumes putting me to sleep.
When we got to Tokoroa we stopped at a BP & I grabbed a cup of coffe to perk me up a bit then carried on, doing 1 hour runs, then stopping for 5 mins to stretch the legs.
It's quite scary now that I think about it. I guess we were behind those trucks for about 3/4 of an hour? My eyelids were fully closing and I was obviously so stupified that I diddn't realise what was happening and that I definately should have pulled over for a breather.
Just another trap to be wary of.
-SW