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Driver Fatigue
is a major problem all over the world. Thousands of people are killed,
or seriously injured due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel. 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:
- 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.
Drivers
Most at Risk
Young male drivers, truck drivers, company car drivers and shift workers
are most at risk of falling asleep while driving. However, any driver
travelling long distances or when they are tired, is at risk of a sleep
related accident. High risk times for fatigue-related fatal crashes are:
- Nighttime/early
morning 10pm-6am
- Afternoon
1pm-3pm
Fatigue-related
crashes at these times of the day coincide with dips in the body's circadian
rhythms, which program us to feel sleepy at night when we would normally
be asleep and to a lesser extent in the afternoon hours.
Fatal crashes
identifying fatigue as a factor are more likely to occur during public
and school holiday periods. Nearly 30 per cent of all fatal fatigue accidents
occur during public or school holidays.
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 majority
of accidents due to driver tiredness are caused by drivers who drive as
part of their job. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1979, employers
can be prosecuted if they are found guilty of failing to exercise their
'duty of care' towards their employees by pressuring drivers to continue
when tired, setting unrealistic schedules, or allowing drivers to drive
excessive hours. There has already been successful prosecutions towards
directors, managers and other staff within companies.
The
Highway Code gives the following advice:-
80. Driving
when you are tired greatly increases your accident risk. To minimise this
risk:
- 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.
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