Information
Driver Fatigue
In the UK alone, almost 45,000 people are killed, or seriously injured in road accidents every year, and road safety experts consider driver fatigue is a major cause.
It is estimated that driver fatigue accounts for up to 20% of fatal and serious crashes on motorways in the UK. This estimate could be well below the actual figure as it is often difficult to detect whether fatigue was a factor in a crash, and what level of tiredness the driver was suffering.
Fatigue related collisions tend to be more severe, possibly because of the higher speeds involved and because the driver is unable to take any avoiding action, or even brake, prior to collision.
The early hours of the morning and the middle of the afternoon are the peak times for fatigue accidents, and long journeys on monotonous roads, particularly motorways, are the most likely to result in a driver falling asleep.
Tiredness reduces reaction time (a critical element of safe driving). It also reduces vigilance, alertness and concentration so that the ability to perform attention-based activities, such as driving, is impaired. The speed at which information is processed is also reduced by sleepiness. The quality of decision-making may also be affected.
The drivers that are most at risk of falling asleep while driving are young male drivers, truck drivers, company car drivers and shift workers. However, any driver travelling long distances or when they are tired, are at risk of a sleep related accident.
If you fall asleep at the wheel you risk killing yourself, your passengers and other innocent victims. An estimated 300 people a year are killed where a driver has fallen asleep at the wheel.
The Warning Signs
Laboratory studies have shown that sleep does not occur spontaneously without warning. Drivers who fall asleep first reach the stage of 'fighting off' sleep when they will try and keep themselves awake by, for example, winding down the window for cold air, turning up the radio, stretching at the wheel, etc.
Plan your journey so that you can take a break at least every two hours to avoid reaching this stage.
The Law
It is not a specific offence to drive when tired, however a driver is more likely to commit a driving offence whilst tired. This may be as significant as causing death by dangerous driving and there has recently been a successful conviction of a driver who fell asleep at the wheel.
The Highway Code gives the following advice to minimise the risk of driving whilst tired:
- Make sure you are fit to drive. Do not undertake a long journey (longer than an hour) if you feel tired
- Avoid undertaking long journeys between midnight and 6am, when natural alertness is at a minimum
- Plan your journey to take sufficient breaks. A minimum break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving in recommended
- If you feel sleepy, stop in a safe place. Do not stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway
- The most effective ways to counter sleepiness are to take a short nap (up to 15 minutes) or drink, for example, two cups of strong coffee. Fresh air, exercise or turning up the radio may help for a short time, but are not as effective
For more information on how to plan your journey safely go to:
