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Many of us think we can keep our minds alert, even when we're feeling the tug of sleepiness on our brain and bodies. But the truth is that sleep is a powerful biological drive—one that can overtake even the best driver. Rolling down the windows and turning up the radio volume—these tricks don't work. It's important to know what to look for and how to handle drowsiness to protect the safety of everyone on the road. It's not always easy to tell when you're too tired to drive. Here are some signs that it's time to pull over: Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids Daydreaming; wandering/disconnected thoughts Trouble remembering the last few miles driven; missing exits or traffic signs Yawning repeatedly or rubbing your eyes Trouble keeping your head up Drifting from your lane, tailgating, or hitting a shoulder rumble strip Feeling restless and irritable Well before a person actually falls asleep while driving, lapses in attention and slowed reaction times make drowsy driving very dangerous. Driving is a complex activity that involves many small but important split decisions with every passing second. Even if you're awake, your brain is not functioning optimally to handle these decisions. Studies show that excessive sleepiness decreases our judgment and increases risk taking. The best way to make sure your mind and body are in optimal driving shape is to plan ahead and get 7-8 hours of sleep before your drive. Other methods include: The pre-drive nap: taking a short nap before a road trip can help make up for a short night's sleep. The mid-drive nap: if you find yourself drowsy while driving, pull over to take a short nap of 20 minutes. Make sure you are in a safe location and remember you'll be groggy for 15 minutes or so after waking up. The Buddy system: It's safest to drive with a partner on long trips. Pull over every two hours and switch drivers, while the other takes a nap if possible. Don't rush. Better to arrive at your destination safe than on time. Do not drink alcohol. Even very small amounts of alcohol will enhance drowsiness. Don't drive between midnight and 6 a.m. Because of your body's biological rhythm, this is a time when sleepiness is most intense. Drink caffeine: caffeine improves alertness, although be aware that the effects of caffeine will wear off after several hours.

Good topic and i think it covers most tips. In my former life being a DJ i was always on the road in the early morning hours. The first 20 minutes when i took off was ok, but then fatigue starts to kick in, especially in the winter when your car heater is on. I'd take the nearest available exit, and take a small 30min powernap, followed by a walk around the car and a coffee. That always did the trick. Be aware that after very long periods without sleep, you will enter a stage where you are suddenly not tired anymore, and feel perfectly fine to drive. But at one point you'll fall asleep without realizing in a split second. A friend of mine who was a sales guy and did very long drives once told me the story that his car went off the highway and he woke up with the car upside down on a piece of farmland next to the highway. Luckily he survived and just broke his arm, but he kept telling me NEVER felt it coming as he kept ignoring the earlier signs from the hours before and then entered the state of being awake and not tired at all. Same thing with RedBull and others.... it delays your fatigueness, but it will hit back eventually, and then it will hit you hard..

People do understand that they need fire extinguisher in their car at some point and make a well research purchase, at least 70 out of 100 cars do have some type of fire extinguishers these days. What many people don't realize the importance of how to use it right. There are few basic limitation of using car fire extinguisher and many people don't even know them. I remember doing the same mistake when I first saw the fire and ran to the extinguisher and emptied the whole can without even reducing the size of fire, let alone extinguishing it. I have been regularly trained and certified Fire Warden with more than 10 years of annual training from Gulf Technical & Safety Training Centre, in Abu Dhabi. I also have a history of saving 4:1 cars, means I saved 4 cars and lost one to the fire (sadly). In any event of fire, time is of an essence, so sooner and smarter you respond the better the outcome may come. You also need to remember that not all car fires are controllable and it's better to walk away in case fire spreads too quickly, rather than making an attempt to fight it. If fire is not spreading fast then you might have a good window of opportunity ONLY if you know how to correctly use the car fire extinguisher. Wrong use of car fire extinguisher will help spread the fire every second and also running out of your fire extinguisher. COMMON MISTAKE OR IGNORANCE Every car fire extinguisher is timed for 5-10-20 seconds of use ONLY. Shooting fire extinguisher from far away is absolutely useless. Find and aim the source of the fire and not the flames. Test / Top up your car fire extinguisher every year. Place your car fire extinguisher within your reach. RIGHT WAY TO USE CAR FIRE EXTINGUISHER Always try to aim and cut off 1 of 3 these things "SAFELY" if you can: Heat, Oxygen and Fuel. If the fire is inside the engine bay, switch off the car immediately as that will cut off the fuel if its fuel related fire. Do not open the hood and wait to see if smoke or fire subsided. If you are in offroad, let few people constantly throw sand on top of close hood (bonnet), that will help lowering down the temperature (removing HEAT) and in case sand seeps through hood louver it can also help in suffocating fire to cut off the oxygen or at least will let you buy few more seconds to fight it. Find the source of the fire is a key to extinguish with limited timed fire extinguisher in hand. Even if you see smoke or flames from the hood, but fire source is always down and may be accessible through wheel arc, front grill or even under the car from the sides. Once you spot the correct source, go as close and safe as possible to shoot the fire extinguisher on the base of the fire and sweep (if you can) for at least 5-6 seconds. Base of the fire is always lighter and brighter in color so don't shoot red color flames, instead look for bluish, yellowish, purplish source of the fire. After the first shot, if fire has been put off then wait for 30 minutes to open the hood, if its still on and accessible, shoot again from as close as you can and sweep it from left to right for 5-6 seconds. Once fire is successfully put off, wait for at least 30 mins to open the hood, as cooling off extinguish fire is equally important. Extinguishing car fire works best with a teamwork, instead everyone coming and emptying the fire extinguisher from various sides. So if you are in offroad and your car catches the fire and you see smoke or flames from the hood, as a first rule of thumb, switch off the car and get your shovel and extinguisher out. If someone is leading then you can support whatever he ask. If you are leading then be ready to get close to the base/source of the fire as soon as possible and advise everyone to keep throwing sand on top of hood and aim to hit the fire base or flame if they can with sand shower. Use every fire extinguisher wisely as its the only thing that can extinguish the fire base very quickly and efficiently. Do not panic, as that will worsen the situation for you to burn your hands or face. Do not get carried away and you should know when to stop fighting and run away with your critical belonging if fire spreads out quickly. Disclaimer: All the above knowledge I intend to share with everyone to let them know how to use fire extinguisher safely rather than just wasting it. I do not intend them to become a hero and get burnt. Cars are replaceable but lives and limbs are not. Example: He could have used 1/2 of the extinguisher if he would have reduced the distance from 6 feet to 3 feet. MUST READ: 7 Uncontrollable Car Fire Causes and Prevention Types of extinguishers that are out there to stop a fire in your car

Wow - look how fast the fire took hold. Fire Engine turned up a few minutes later. Brave young man who rushed to this strangers aid. We were working in office across the road when gentleman pulled over and fire sprang out of his dashboard. Seconds later it was a raging inferno.

Great topic ! We always train to use the P.A.S.S method, which is easy to remember: Also worth remembering that you cannot use ANY extinguisher for any type of fire, there are different types of extinguishers, categorized in classes: A typical extinguisher for car will be dry powder if i remember correctly. So take note when you buy one

What a night! it was a fun filled adventurous drive indeed. @Frederic yes thanks for pointing out that i need to be vocal when i am lost. Why i went mum, was because I realized that @Roshan Abraham was stuck on the other side anyways and since i had a fair idea of where he was located, and since the convoy would stop to recover him, i thought i could try and get out of that sticky spot by myself. Else, if the convoy was moving on, i would have definitely radio'ed in seeking assistance Besides that, I loved the side cresting exercises as it gave me a good chance to work on those skills. Tackling soft sand is still a tough one for me as i am still trying to figure out at what point and how much gas i need to apply. And on this night, i made my second ever attempt at climbing iftar bowl and yet again i failed. But when @Rahimdad bhai attempted the same with my car and he wasn't able to make it straight up (he eventually did with an alternate route) i was a bit relieved 😜 Definitely looking forward to more drives and to eventually climb off-road ranks (and dunes effortlessly) with this awesome group.

This is the best. What works for me is to drink lots of cold water ONLY. I have tried many things like energy drinks or caffeine but they messed me up. Maybe because I never drink coffee or things like that, the only caffeine I drink is from the occasional soft drink.

And for some other GLORIFIED experience.......!

I think I am one of the best qualified to answer this question as I have a big tendency to sleep while driving. This is what I do in the following order of preference: Nothing beats getting a power nap of 20 - 30 mins Talking on the phone is the next best thing Eating sunflower seeds as its an activity in addition to eating something Eating chips, chocolates, chewing gum have no effect to keep me awake

Any more ideas ? I drive daily from SHJ to RAK and need some good ideas to avoid crashing

Anyone tried above services and can compare both ? I've tried Udrive three times now and although the registration app was a hassle to work in the beginning, now it seems to work fine. I've seen the Google reviews and was shocked to see the many complaints and issues customers have. I've yet to give Ekar a try. Their Google reviews look a lot better. I use these services to have a car to use when my other car is in for service. Its cheaper than taxis and i prefer driving myself anyways. You pay per minute so its quite economical.

‘58 Chevy Del Ray Car was already hotrodded at some stage, bigger engine fitted, manual trans fitted, wide white walls, louvred bonnet fitted. Some guy even fitted a weird 1980s horn kit with a keyboard so you can program the horn to play your favourite song. Im going to Matt black it to give it that modern touch. Drop the suspension so low that speed bumps become the enemy. I’m planning to keep the musical horn because it’s just so cool and unique. In truth I’d love to cut the front end out, jack it up and build it into a gasser. Would be so cool but would make it unsaleable in Dubai.

Heard lot of praise about Tata Harrier in India, just spotted a mailer and was really impressed with Tata approach of using LR reference in its marketing. Quite intelligent to leverage from sister concern. I wouldn't be surprised if Tata, is even sharing the platform, as they look quite similar to discovery, atleast from the front.

Was in Rashidiya today getting a custom exhaust built and spotted these. Original F&F Supra and Paul Walkers personal Evo. Anyone know who owns them? Have a grand tour employee who wants to do an interview.

Also priced at 65,000 dhs is quite competitive. Even for Indian market.

My current project is going to be close April 2020 i will be leaving before that or max i will be there is april 2020. If my company gets new project or if i find any other opportunity. I am going to give it a sweet sweet love. Like nice lift kit, engine modifications, full sound system. I am not planing to change my car for sometime. Cherokee was very harsh and you were feeling it is old. This one is comfortable and more easy to live with. 4 inc lift and big tyres with spacer and black rims 😍

Sorry to say that has never happened to me. Even on that long boring 120kms dead straight to Liwa via Hameem. Even while coming back in the night in the times when it had no streets lights and all you saw was what your headlights lit up. I just moved back to Sharjah after living in Rak for over a year. Drove to and fro on that road more times than I can remember. Last 3 months was brutal wife drove to bussiness bay at 5am and then back to rak by 9 daily. Before that I was driving twice to Abudhabi daily for over a year So long boring drive is no excuse in my book!

Totally agreed but even if you sleep well on long drives in UAE you don't have anything but desert for view and its so boring u tend to lose interest in driving and feel sleepy Same applies for me from RAK to SHJ only desert and nothing else .... No even traffic so i can keep my self engaged 😁

Sleeping on the wheel is bloody dangerous and can get people killed. Number 1 rule. Sleep well and be well rested. Number 2 if unavoidable. Pull over and take a nap before you get yourself or someother motorists killed. Thank God I dont suffer for this even when being behind the wheel contiously for 12-18 hrs. Only time I was really struggling was after being at the wheel almost for 24hrs non stop luckily it was 3 am in the morning and I was very close to home, told my colleauge to take over even though he didnt have a license but I knew he could drive well on and off road and take the car back to base as it was needed in the morning.

Correct, but all off-road LED lights will be in the 6000K range probably.

Today I would like to talk to you guys about the different types of extinguishers that are out there to stop a fire in your car. I dont think is mandatory for companies here to train their employees on how to put out fires, back home it is mandatory to go through training with the fire department. First, I would like to explain the elements of fire, for some of us this might be basic but there are still some people that may not be aware of what is required for a fire to start. For a fire to start it needs 3 things: Heat: A heat source is responsible for the initial ignition of fire, and is also needed to maintain the fire and enable it to spread. Heat allows fire to spread by drying out and preheating nearby fuel and warming surrounding air. Fuel: A fire needs a fuel source in order to burn. The fuel source can be anything that is flammable, such as wood, paper, plastic, fabric, or chemicals. Once the fuel element of the fire triangle is removed, the fire will go out. Oxygen: Air contains about 21 percent oxygen, and most fires require at least 16 percent oxygen content to burn. Oxygen supports the chemical processes that occur during fire. When fuel burns, it reacts with oxygen from the surrounding air, releasing heat and generating combustion products (gases, smoke, embers, etc.). This process is known as oxidation. If you remove any of these elements you will not have fire. Types of Fire Class A fires: These are started by combustible and flammable materials, such as wood, paper, trash or plastics. If a car has any of this material inside, it runs the risk of a class A fire. Class B fires: are started by a flammable liquid or gas. This includes sources such as gasoline and oils with petroleum, as well as propane and butane. A class B fire is one of the most common in cars. Class C fires: The fuel sources for these are typically electrical, such as faulty wiring. Again, this can certainly take place in a car, as there are many electrical components. An electrical fault in your vehicle can lead to a class C fire. Class D fires: These flames are started by a combustible metal, such as magnesium or potassium. A class D fire is generally not something you have to worry about taking place in a car. It is recommended to have in your car an ABC type extinguisher because, as the name implies, it will work on the fires that are most likely to take place in a car, classes A, B, and C. How to put out a fire with a conventional fire extinguisher. Always secure the fire extinguisher It is always important to have your car extinguisher secured via a bracket or other safety mechanism. Keep in mind that if it is not properly secured and you crash or roll over you will have big and heavy object hitting your head. A very inexpensive way to secure it would be to use velcro and industrial adhesive to hold the extinguisher in place Non conventional fire extinguishers

What an amazing topic you picked for saving so many lives and cars. Thank you @Javier M. After writing my last week article on 7 Uncontrollable Car Fire Causes and Prevention, I was about to write similar article in educating people to choose what "type of fire extinguisher they need in car" and "how to use it right". I have just written "How to correctly use the Car Fire Extinguisher" and linked with this article.

I would not buy only based on the type of LED. A 5D would not necessarily be better than a 3D. You need to look into the Lumens delivered per watt used and the color temperature, I would get something with a color temperature between 5000K to 6500K. Less than 2000K: gives off a dim glow of light, similar to what you might find from candlelight; best for low-light areas where ambient illumination is welcomed 2000K-3000K: gives off a soft white glow, often yellow in appearance; best for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and outdoor spaces 3100K-4500K: gives off a bright amount of white light; best for kitchens, offices, work spaces and vanities where task lighting is needed 4600K-6500K: gives off a bright amount of blue-white light, similar to that of daylight; best for display areas and work environments where very bright illumination is needed 6500K and up: gives off a bright bluish hue of light, often found in commercial locations; best for bright task lighting

WOW, What a brilliant topic shared with well research facts and remedies. Here are my two cents from driving after every week night offroad drive. Off course nothing beats a power nap if you are super tired but these few little tricks help me every time. Spray water on your face. Keep Evian spray can or normal water spray gun for plants handy. Chewing gum, mint, candy or soda, just something sweet or sour to kick up. Eating nuts, crisp, chocolate to prevent yawning and sleep. Calling and speaking to someone on phone, of course on hand free mode. High tempo music (dance numbers) to keep your body esp head and neck moving.

Feed your cat , it seems too weak 😁

I saw the rims are different, and I would suppose the original ones would be sitting with a collector in his garage, and not in Rashidiya ? 😄

From what I’ve seen from udrive they won’t deliver cars to you, so yes when you park the car nearby the office (has to be public parking space), you have the risk that someone else takes it. You’re not paying for it anymore anyways. Depending from where your office is you might find other udrive or Ekars in the nearby area, either a walk away, or a colleague can drop you off to the nearest car. For me in jebel Ali area, not so many cars are there, and I keep the car in front of the factory building. But chances are low that someone else will grab it.

I hope you got a written quote with no hidden clauses? By the way, we have a stretched and lifted ‘47 Willys at the shop if you want to prove your dedication to the brand 😂

Nice article below on this topic: https://keepsmilingpowersports.com/blogs/news/what-s-my-light Beware that as per RTA they should be covered when driving on road. Due to road noise and wear and tear, i chose to make them removable by mounting them on rubber magnetic pads and the cable goes to an outlet plug which I put in the engine bay. Takes me 5 mins to install or remove them and they stay in perfect shape. Mines are from Eyourlife, à Chinese Amazon brand. Probably still 3D from what I noticed, but nevertheless happy with the results.

You are probably right as I don’t know the difference between side sloping or side cresting. Difficult to explain with words so I’ll show you guys when we meet this weekend.

😨copy that and noted

Like I mentioned before, don't love side cresting as that's the most dangerous thing to do in offroading that can flip your car in no time. Instead learn how to not to side crest, by keeping the momentum to climb and "accept" fast if it won't go up, so that you can turn downward safely and make another attempt. Fighting with the gravity till last second when you don't have enough momentum cause side crest, which is very prone to flip while recovering.

My 2 cents with @Srikumar

I love that WJ '99 of yours... Give it some love and some dirhams it needs and you'll have a great offroader !

Great topic. I was convinced that one of these days I would require a U drive and signed up. Entering all documents took a bit of work and about half an hour. Since I've joined did not need to use it. But have first 30 minutes free. Best thing is petrol, Salik and parking paid by them so just rent and drive. They have cars on per minute basis, so in traffic you'll pay more, but you also have option for full day rentals. Later I heard about Ekar and how it is better than U drive, but did not want to go through the same hassle of signing up.

Just out of curiosity, do they allow interstate driving ?

Thanks for this wonderful thread for comparison. I always see ekar and udrive cars around and especially knowing they are cheaper than taxi's make them an instant hit for quick commute or replacement car in your case. Wondering to know what if you took one car to office and park and during lunch some one else took that away, then how will you come back? Is cars also available on call or request like a taxi service...?

I was thinking too, that what if it's a fanboi copy....! How did you make out its fake....?

Matt black is a serious pain in the ass. I build what people ask me to build. I built a Matt black ‘50 Mercury Eight with mustang running gear a couple of months ago. When it’s clean it looks badass. But it collects dust so fast. If you try to wipe it, it just gets worse. But when it’s clean it is the dogs danglies. Heres a pic of my shop cat, because we all love a nice kitty. If you don’t think he’s cute, maybe you need to check your heart

I need to update that. I’m driving a crappy 2.0 Ford Fiesta now.

If they ask tones of money, i will tell them just keep the car i dont need it. But i dont think they will ask anything more.

Good. As long as you need prior approval, that’s important. I’d hate to see you get screwed. Tarhan is in Istanbul now. He left maybe 6 weeks ago. I still speak to him every day but he hasn’t said when he’s coming back. I think he’s just enjoying the weather there and being with family now. Maybe after summer he’ll come back to Dubai, I don’t know. You’re still welcome to come and visit the shop any time.

They sent me a text message for quote. They said this is the price for work should we proceed and i said approved. Than after 2 days they called me again and they said my engine and transmission mounts are bad. I already knew about it and the price they gave me was reasonable and i told them approved. So this is all i have as quotation. They are not doing any work without approval to avoid any rejection later. For Willys i would like to visit the shop and see it. Also i would like to meet with mr Tarhan.

I’m used to driving stupid stuff I can’t get parts for but this is one fish I wouldn’t even attempt to fry.

It has been 9 days by todar. Jeep is still with Hoorani Gearbox. They said rebuild already done but there are electrical issues they are trying to solve. Lets see how long it will take. This 1999 gearbox is 1 year production only(regarding the electronics, mechanically same all 42RE). If they used any electronic part belong to 2000 and above, it will give issue. I guess this is the mistake they are making. Lets see.

Yeah i've seen a white/silver one when i used to live in the Springs a few years back. I was amazed to see the car as i had no idea who or what Fisker was and stood for. I can imagine repairing this must be a nightmare.... Maybe Santana was on his way to Maria

The boys from Dirt Every Day have a new episode dedicated to the XJ, @sertac and @Srikumar you might like it: Would love to go and check out these trails with these guys !!

Actually I want to get a 1998 5.9 ZJ Grand Cherokee. Than I can complete the all serie of Grand Cherokee.

Nope. It's only to show you're an offroader.