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I had a nasty experience like it, a few years ago. I was within my hours and thought I had had a good sleep and was totally unprepared for this;
On an odd occasion, with early starts, I would feel a bit tired, half hour after getting on the motorway, but it would pass very quickly. On one particular morning, I left Portbury and headed North on the M5, I was barely past Michaelwood Services and this tired feeling started to come on, having just passed the services, I was too late to stop and have a walk round the lorry park and a quick hot cuppa, so was looking to get off at Jct. 13 and just stop a few minutes.
The sign indicating one mile to Junction 13 appeared, followed a second later by my seeing the old Strensham Services, (Jct. 8), on my near side.
This was not a period of fighting to stay awake. This was a period during which my conscious mind was asleep. it is the only explanation I can think of.
I am convinced to this day, that we must have a part of us that can function on 'automatic pilot, to some degree.
I know what it is like to fight to stay awake, on the road, my cab happy experience without a co- driver many years ago, gave me that insight, and I thought I would never go there again.
It showed me that even within legal but long hours, you are vulnerable to this. Further, who among us has not tried to get the attention of someone weaving on and off the hard shoulder, or between two lanes, in the wee hours.
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