No rest stops for the weary?

If stopping at a rest area isn’t your favorite part of a road trip, then you’re not driving to the right places. So head north on I-91 across the Massachusetts/Vermont border and take a break at the Guilford Welcome Center.

The building is beautiful, a light, airy, barn-like structure criss-crossed with pegged wooden beams and filled with displays of hand-planed maple tables and mouth-blown wine glasses made in Vermont. You can log onto the free WiFi, get directions, book hotels … in fact, plan your whole visit to the state with help from the staff, a benefit to the tourist industry in a state that bans billboards.

But maybe the best part (aside from the clean bathrooms) is that you’re off the highway for a few minutes. Unfortunately, not every motorist has that luxury, even in Vermont. The Wall Street Journal reported recently  that at least eight states are planning to shutter some roadside facilities, or already have. Tighter budgets are forcing states to weigh the costs of keeping rest areas open. (Listen to this report on NPR.)

Consumer Reports knows that taking breaks is a very good thing.  And a German study from 2007 notes that “driver fatigue (sleepiness, tiredness) is the largest identifiable and preventable cause of road accidents worldwide, accounting for approximately 15-20 percent of all accidents, with official statistics often underestimating this contribution.”

There are no federal rules for the spacing of rest areas, but the recommended distance is no more than about 60 miles—or one hour's drive—apart.

We spoke with Gerry Myers, the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services for the state of Vermont, which recently closed four rest areas. He said that safety was definitely a factor in the selection process. The state considered not just what condition the buildings were in and how much traffic they got, but how far a driver would have to go to find another convenient spot to pull off and take a break. Each area Vermont decided to close was within about 20 minutes of other services, so drivers won’t have to push themselves past the point of fatigue.

Vermont is still studying the effect of closures on trucks and other commercial traffic. For now, officials are leaving the parking areas of the closed stops open, because while cars can pull into gas stations and other private facilities on New England’s small country roads, big rigs don’t always have that option.

Wherever you're driving, the AAA Foundation for Auto Safety says pulling over is even more important at certain times of the day. "Timing your breaks becomes crucial at night or between 2 and 4 p.m., when your body's circadian rhythm makes you sleepy. Statistics show dramatic spikes in drowsy-driving collisions during those hours."

Our auto team has these additional tips for a safer road trip:

• Get adequate sleep before you get in the car.
• Take breaks—especially if driving a long distance.
• Arrange for a travel companion to swap driving duties.
• Avoid alcohol and/or medications that can cause drowsiness.
• If feeling tired, pull off the road and nap for 15-20 minutes.
• Caffeine may help, but can take some time to get into your system and when it wears off can leave you even more tired.
• If you have a teen driver, implement your own nighttime driving restrictions.
• Drinking a good quantity of water helps as it prevents dehydration that can cause drowsiness. It also requires you to pull over regularly and stretch your legs for a bathroom break.—Jonea Gurwitt

Comments

[John Beerman]

While driving the length of I-81 in Virginia, recently, I read signs that indicated that Virginia has schedule closure of most of its I- 81 rest areas in the near future. What a shame!

[Michelle Wells]

My advice is to be extremely careful about the rest areas you choose, especially after dark. My husband was assaulted and beaten with his cane at a rest area in Concord, NC. The attack required twenty staples in his head. The two staff members had locked themselves in their office and didn't come out until the police had arrived. Having lived in FL and SC for more than 20 years, where rest areas had considerable law enforcement presence, at least in areas considered unsafe, we made the faulty assumption that NC's rest stops were equally safe. So please be careful! This experience was far more costly than the $8 and 2 credit cards the attacker stole. I would advise stopping at a 24-hr restaurant or gas station instead. For the stops that remain open, states need to evaluate them for safety--or at least add lighting sufficient to discourage criminal activity.

[Artrina]

I drive the NY State Thruway often. I've never had a problem with the rest areas on it other than high food prices. The gas is supposed to be close to what is charged nearby - and occasionally a rest area will be fined because the prices are high. I appreciate the fact that the stops are well lit and the rest rooms are clean. I feel safer stopping there at 11 PM than I would stopping at some fast food restaurants that are near the highways.

My husband often needs someplace safe to pull over and nap for 30 min or so. The first time he has to do it on the side of the road on an interstate because the rest areas are closed and we have problems I will be silent about it with my computer. If the states provide the roads and recommend people get adequate rest while driving they need to provide a safe place to rest!

[Maggie]

I fall asleep while driving and have several strategies to deal with this. I'm advised to pull over and take a little nap. Where? I am very aware that most often there is nowhere to pull over! Does "emergency stopping only" include a nap? I have to drive 10-20 miles with my eyes half shut and my brain asleep! Ideas?

[carmenkeefe]

reststop is very important for travelers,if you close them.you might start seeing people, using the road for the bathroom,its hard for small children too.

[pat]

I have often stopped at the Vermont rest stop and it is absolutely beautiful and a pleasure. On busy weekends, local charities, like boy scouts, offer coffee etc for 'donations'. It would be nice to have more, not less, of these stops available.
Perhaps the states could get some support from area business to keep them open.

[Leslie]

Re. the comment about plenty of gas, food lodging available - - not always in rural areas and states. We depend on State run rest stops. These can be profitable if well-stocked with food and beverage machines and some even sell other items. Stopping along a cold deserted road, with children no less, is not a great idea.

[JRB]

Perfect government logic. Reduce/eliminate services that the public truly needs, especially related to highway safety. How about reducing government costs by getting rid of the 50% of government workers that don't do anything.

[aaron8301]

That's all good and well, until I'm on the side of the freeway letting my 3-year-old pee on a mile marker. I can hold it, but he can't.

[mwright]

The states are closing rest stops - no one else is. Anything with gas/food/lodging isn't closing. There will still be plenty of those. I've done quite a bit of interstate driving and I never stopped at those state-run ones anyway - the restrooms are never clean and they are too isolated. I always time my stops for the rest stops that have lots of traffic, in order to feel safer. Why are states running rest stops anyway? Don't they have enough to do?

[Steaming Pile]

Are they kidding? Rest areas, at least the ones where food/gas is available, are cash cows. At least that's the impression I get when I stop at one along the New York State Thruway or the Mass. Turnpike. Add a buck to the same Big Mac you could get elsewhere.