Do you not drink too much water before you get in the car, because otherwise you have to go to the toilet? Bad idea, driving with too little fluid in your body is almost as dangerous as driving with too much alcohol.
Wow, that sounds extreme. Yet that is what researchers concluded after participants took two two-hour 'driving tests' in a simulator. At the first exam, they were given about a quarter of a liter to drink per hour. In the second driving test they only got one sip per hour.
With thirst we make more mistakes
When the participants hardly drank, they made more mistakes; 101 errors, compared to 47 errors when drinking enough water. It involved errors such as braking too late, lurching or accidentally driving over a solid line.
How is that possible? When you drink too little, your brain does not function optimally. You are less sharp, less focused, it is more difficult to concentrate and your reaction time is poorer. That affects how you drive. But it's not just driving that gets worse, even if you're sitting in front of the computer, drinking too little has an impact on your performance. We take another glass of water.
How do you know if you're drinking too little? These are 3 signs that you are drinking too little.
