Your eyes are doing the work
Frequent blinking or yawning, heavy eyelids and trouble keeping your eyes focused are warnings—not minor inconveniences.
Drive fatigue planner
Plan the day.
Protect the driver.
Four hours at the wheel can become a full day once you add viewpoints, meals and rest stops. Check the plan before you set off.
A planning check, not a fitness test
How heavy is
your driving day?
Move the details to match the day you are planning. The result is deliberately conservative and cannot tell you that you are safe to drive.
Room in the day
This looks like a more forgiving plan.
Keep the planned breaks and do not spend the spare margin before you leave. Weather, traffic, illness or drowsiness can still make the drive unsuitable.
- Planning estimate
- 5 hrs
- Proper stops
- 2
- Road setting
- Mixed or scenic roads
The rule that beats the calculator
Tired means stop.
Pull into a legal, safe place. Change to a properly rested driver or take a real break; Transport Canada recommends a nap of at least 20 minutes if you are tired. If you still feel drowsy, do not continue.
Know the early signs
Recognise fatigue
before it becomes dangerous.
Do not wait for a microsleep. Changes in your eyes, concentration or road position mean it is time to stop safely.
Your thoughts are wandering
Disconnected thoughts, missing signs or being unable to remember the last few kilometres mean it is time to stop.
The car is telling on you
Lane drift, unintentional slowing, late braking or hitting a rumble strip need an immediate safe response.
The clock is against you
Alertness commonly dips overnight and again in the mid-afternoon. A packed itinerary does not change your body clock.
Before a long leg
Make the easy decision
while you are fresh.
- 01Sleep before distance.
Transport Canada recommends a good night’s sleep before a long journey. Do not make the first day after an overnight flight the biggest drive.
- 02Put stops into the plan.
Schedule a proper stop at least every 90 minutes. Get out, move around, drink water and keep meals light.
- 03Share only with a rested driver.
Two names on a rental agreement do not create two alert drivers. If both people are jet-lagged or tired, shorten the day.
- 04Keep an escape route.
Know the towns, rest areas and accommodation options before a remote leg. Mobile signal and late-night rooms cannot be assumed.
Official reading
The advice behind
the planner.
Checked 9 August 2026
The calculator uses broad planning signals and official Canadian fatigue guidance. It is not a medical tool and does not measure alertness, reaction time or fitness to drive.
Never use a score as permission
Choose a shorter route →Illness, medication, alcohol or drugs, poor weather and individual sleep needs can make any plan unsuitable. If in doubt, do not drive.