Driver Fatigue

Don't Drive Tired

Driver sleepiness is thought to cause at least 10% of all road crashes and as many as one in four injury collisions on motorways and trunk roads. Over 39,000 serious injuries and nearly 3,500 deaths occurred on the roads in the UK in 2002. Drowsiness is now considered to be a major cause; The killer claiming more lives than alcohol.

Falling asleep at the wheel is preceded by feelings of increasing sleepiness that drivers are aware of but often ignore. They will wind down the window, turn up the radio, stretch etc, but drive on. None of these methods nor the willpower to stay awake have much effect in overcoming sleepiness.

Plan your journey with the potential problems of sleepiness in mind.

If you feel tired, get off the road, find a safe parking place and drink one or two cans of an energy drink.

One can of a functional energy drink will almost eliminate this level of sleepiness and sleep-related driving impairments for about an hour after being absorbed by the body. Nevertheless, you should get adequate sleep, and not see energy drinks as a substitute for sleep.

Men are more at risk of having a sleep-related collision as they tend to drive faster, have an over confident image of their driving skills and are less likely to stop and take a break if they feel tired.

Most collisions happen between 2am and 6am and mid-afternoon between 2pm and 4pm. This is when the body's natural clock is set at daily low points. Be aware of the additional risk of driving at these times.

Never start a journey if you are already feeling sleepy
Try to avoid making long trips between midnight and 6am when natural alertness is low
Plan to stop for a 15-minute break every 2 hours on a long journey
If you start to feel sleepy, find a safe place to stop (not on the hard shoulder)
Drink a cup or two of strong coffee
Take a short nap and resume your journey 15-20 minutes later

Remember that opening the window or turning up the radio will do little to stop you falling asleep at the wheel.

This page was last updated on 4 November 2009