Speed Blindness

If you drive at a high speed for a long period of time, you can easily become speed blind. Speed blindness means that you find it difficult to judge what speed you are doing and it feels as if you are driving more slowly than you really are. This may cause you to misjudge distances, reduce your speed too little or pull off the road when you need to brake at a motorway exit.

Turnings and objects at the side of the road can help your brain to understand what speed you are doing. If the road is wide and straight, the brain will have less sensory information to interpret and the risk of speed blindness will increase. Quiet cars also increase the risk of speed blindness as our brains use engine sounds to help judge what speed cars are travelling at.

The only way to get rid of speed blindness is to frequently check your speedometer. This is particularly important when braking. Be sure to also maintain good safety margins and to brake in good time!

Tunnel Vision

Tunnel vision occurs when driving at high speeds. Your scanning range gets narrower and your ability to detect objects at the side of the road becomes impaired. This can be very dangerous as you may miss a hazard such as a wild animal that is going to cross the road. To reduce the risk of tunnel vision it is important that you maintain an active gaze.

Tiredness, stress and alcohol can also affect your scanning range and cause tunnel vision.