Driver tiredness
You never fall asleep without warning. Drivers who fall asleep have often tried to fight off drowsiness by turning the heating to cold, opening a window or turning up the radio. These tactics don’t work for long.
If you drive whilst tired it could be lethal. It may be tempting to risk it, but research shows that if you drive when you are shattered, it’s impossible to stop yourself eventually nodding off at the wheel.
“Driver sleepiness is estimated to account for one fifth of accidents on major roads and is responsible for around 300 deaths per year “
Follow the safety tips below to help reduce driver tiredness:
- Never start a long journey if you are already shattered.
- Plan your journey to include a 15-minute break every two hours.
- If possible share the driving on long journeys, this way each driver gets a break and time to rest.
- If you start to feel tired find a safe place to stop (not the hard-shoulder). Drink two cups of coffee and have a rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes to allow time for the caffeine to kick in. Ideally have a 20 minute nap. When you feel alert again, drive on. If not, stay put.
- Make sure you get enough sleep before a long drive and remember the risks if you have to get up unusually early to start.
- Try to avoid long trips between midnight and 6am is you are likely to feel sleepy during this period.
Remember:
- The only real cure for sleepiness is proper sleep.
- A caffeine drink and a 20 minute nap is a short-term solution that will only allow you to keep driving for a short time.
