Driving while you're tired

The facts

The Department for Transport (DfT) estimates that driver drowsiness is a factor in up to 20,000 accidents on UK roads every year.
Sleep-related vehicle accidents (SRVAs) are more likely to result in serious injury or death than the 'average' road accident because of the lack of braking, according to Jim Horne of Loughbrough University's sleep research centre.
About 40% of SRVAs are probably work-related, as they involve commercial vehicles, like HGVs, vans etc (DfT Road Safety Research Report no. 21 on Driver Sleepiness).
Drivers are aware of their sleepiness, especially when they're 'fighting sleep', or doing things to keep themselves awake, like winding down the window (DfT report no. 21 as above).
The Government believes SRVAs shouldn't be classed as accidents, but as crashes due to human error.
The DfT's strategy to reduce sleep-related crashes involves driver education, greater public awareness of the potential dangers of sleepiness, and greater employer responsibility for their employees' fitness to drive.

We're an official partner of the DfT's 'Think!' driver tiredness campaign.
We believe the dangers of driver sleepiness are not as well-documented as those of drink-driving and speeding.
We recommend drivers have a good sleep before travelling and plan a 15-minute break for every two hours of motoring, sharing driving if possible.
We also advise drivers to have two cups of tea or another high-caffeine drink and allow 10-15 minutes for the caffeine to take effect before driving.
We want to highlight the risks of driving between 12-6am and 2-4pm when natural alertness is low - we recommend drivers find a safe place to stop (not a motorway hard shoulder) if they start feeling sleepy.

RAC Press Office
Adam Cracknell
01603 684916
adam.cracknell@aviva.co.uk

June 2009