THINK! advice - driving when tired: factsheet

Did you know?

• An estimated 300 people a year are killed where a driver has fallen asleep at the wheel.
• Research commissioned by the Government found that falling asleep at the wheel accounts for up to 20% of crashes on motorways or similar roads, and as many as one in ten of all crashes on Britain's roads.
• If you fall asleep at the wheel you are 50% more likely to die or suffer serious injury because a sleeping driver does not react before a crash.
• The greatest risk of falling asleep at the wheel is between midnight-6am and 2-4pm.
• It can affect any driver, but people who drive as part of their job may be more at risk. About 40% of sleep related crashes are work-related, inasmuch as they involve commercial vehicles.
• Alcohol and drugs (including some medicines) can make you more tired without you realising it.

Research

According to the sleep unit at Loughborough University men aged 30 years and under are more likely to fall asleep at the wheel, and seem to be at a higher risk because they use the roads more at night. They are also more likely to press on with a journey when tired.

• Driving between midnight and 6am presents a particular risk for sleep-related crashes as this is when your 'body clock' is in a natural trough. There is another, smaller trough between about 2pm and 4pm.
• All sleepy drivers are aware of their tiredness, particularly when they reach the stage of 'fighting sleep' (i.e. doing things to keep themselves awake, such as winding down the window). You don’t fall asleep without warning!
• Opening the window for cold air or turning up the radio are of very limited benefit and sufficient only to find a safe place for a break.
• Reaction time devices are of little practical use in detecting driver tiredness. By the time they work a driver is already well on the way to falling asleep.
• If you start to feel sleepy find a safe place to stop (not the hard shoulder of the motorway).

Tips for drivers

• Plan your journey to include a 15 minute break every two hours of driving
• Drinking 2 cups of coffee or other high caffeine drink and having a rest to allow time for the caffeine to kick in are effective methods of combating tiredness.
• Have a good night's sleep before setting out on a long journey.
• Remember the risks if you have to get up unusually early to start your trip, or have a long drive home after a full day’s work.
• Avoid making long trips between midnight- 6am and 2-4pm when natural alertness is low.
• Share the driving if possible.
• If you start to feel sleepy find a safe place to stop (not the hard shoulder of a motorway) as soon as possible.
• Opening the window or turning up the radio does little to prevent a driver from falling asleep at the wheel.