“This condition kicks in after two to three hours of continuous driving. The driver’s eyes remain open, but the brain enters a passive state where one can no longer process visuals or react to surroundings.”
Hyderabad: In a growing number of accident cases on the national highways, police officials under Rachakonda Commissionerate have identified a lesser-known but dangerous cause named ‘road hypnosis’. The psychological condition, which is also called Highway Hypnosis or White Line Fever, is now being treated as a serious safety concern.
Road hypnosis or highway hypnosis is a state where a driver zones out while driving specifically during long distances, responding adequately but without conscious awareness. It is often caused by monotony, fatigue or repetitive road conditions like the white stripes and the path all along.
Rachakonda Traffic DCP Malla Reddy said that there are several fatal crashes that were initially attributed to driver negligence or speeding. However, a deeper scrutiny revealed no alcohol, overspeeding, or technical faults. Instead, it is observed that many drivers had been behind the wheel for extended hours without a break.
“This condition kicks in after two to three hours of continuous driving. The driver’s eyes remain open, but the brain enters a passive state where one can no longer process visuals or react to surroundings.”
Contradicting the analysis, Naresh Raghavan, a road safety expert, claims that “road hypnosis happens in foreign countries because the roads are straight, smooth with hardly any distractions. All the traffic is moving at the same speed and drivers engage cruise control.”
On Indian roads, however, he said it is difficult for someone to experience highway hypnosis because there are constant distractions in terms of slow moving vehicles, where you have to frequently change lanes, village intersections, rumble strips, and curves on the road.
“This disassociation between sight and cognitive response results in drivers failing to recognise slow-moving or stationary vehicles often leads to rear-end collisions or lane departures. Most incidents occur during the early morning hours or late nights, when the roads are largely empty and the drive becomes monotonous. Long stretches of identical scenery, continuous white lines, and fatigue intensify the risk,” he explained.
Another officer contends that while the road may not be without any hindrances, buses that run long distances face it. A person on the wheel should keep moving their eyes for every 15 minutes, and whenever there is a break period, a couple of eye exercises are suggested. Eyes glancing at a single subject takes you into a state of trance. By the time you come out of it, there could be an unfortunate incident in the meantime.”
To counter this problem, the Rachakonda police has launched a social media awareness campaign. A short explainer video in Telugu is being circulated on social media, educating drivers about symptoms of road hypnosis and safe driving practices. Drivers are advised to take a break every two to three hours, walk for a few minutes, hydrate, and avoid journeys when sleep-deprived.
