Microsleep and Fatigue Behind the Wheel: The Unrecognized Danger on the Road

Driver fatigue is a state of physical and mental depletion that drastically reduces concentration, reaction time, and alertness. From this scientific research, interested readers can learn about: speed, the distances traveled by a motor vehicle as a function of speed, and braking distance—theoretical and practical calculation methods; the distance traveled by a motor vehicle during driver fatigue or microsleep; advanced technologies for detecting and preventing driver fatigue or microsleep and others; a driver fatigue monitoring system using infrared cameras and AI for eye tracking; the influence of fatigue and microsleep on defensive driving; microsleep while driving near the destination (the end point of the trip); an analysis of traffic accidents caused by fatigue and microsleep while driving in Romania; a case study on the influence of tire type on braking distance. The data presented in this paper represent the authors’ own views. Conclusions regarding the topic are drawn at the end of the paper.