5 Ways Too Much Coffee Can Make Your Driving Worse

We LOVE our coffee. Between those early morning school runs, work commutes, and late-night Netflix binges, that caffeine boost feels like survival fuel. But according to experts, too much of a good thing behind the wheel might not be so great.

Caffeine intake has jumped a ton over the past decade and even the average cup of coffee is stronger than it used to be. But there’s a point where caffeine stops helping and actually starts making you a worse driver.

Here are five ways overdoing it can mess with your driving:

1. Poor Decision-Making
   When you’re running on fumes and grab another cup instead of taking a nap, caffeine can make you more anxious and cloud your judgment; not exactly ideal for making quick calls on the road.
2. Tremors
   Too much caffeine overstimulates your nervous system, and that can cause your hands or legs to shake; not great when you’re trying to keep a steady grip on the steering wheel.
3. Slowed Reactions
   A little caffeine sharpens you up. Too much can actually delay your reaction time because your body gets overstimulated. It’s like your brain’s trying to do everything at once.
4. Visual Disturbances
   Overdoing caffeine can make your eye muscles twitch, which makes it harder to focus. You might blink more, or even see things a little blurry, which is a big nope for safe driving.
5. Headaches
   Caffeine usually helps with headaches because it tightens your blood vessels. But if you drink a lot every day, your body gets used to that, so when the caffeine wears off, those vessels expand again, and boom: caffeine withdrawal headache.

So next time you’re hitting the road, maybe stop at one cup instead of three, or better yet, pull over for a nap if you’re that tired. Because no one wants to be the jittery driver with the shaky hands and twitchy eyes.