The sheer distances involved in travelling Australia means that many grey nomads are tempted to drive for longer times than they should … sometimes with horrific consequences.
Tiredness is proven to reduce reaction time and affects alertness and concentration levels, and also lowers the ability to process information quickly and yet people continue to do it. New British research has shown just how devastating driving while fatigued can be … and is causing more accidents there than those caused by people impaired by taking drugs.
An incredible 20% of road accidents on major roads are fatigue related compared to that of 18% for impaired by drug taking during the last reported figures for 2015. The Birmingham Daily Mail says that figures for 2015 provided by
Department for Transport show fatigue was a contributory factor in 68 deaths on the roads of Great Britain – and that’s one more death recorded than those who have been impaired by illicit or medicinal drugs.
The research stated 435 people were seriously injured on the roads by a contributory factor of fatigue compared to 350 drug related incidents and a further 2,279 people had minor injuries against 997 casualties by drug-impaired driving.
And it has all led to calls for sleep deprivation to be given tougher punishments along similar lines to drugs and alcohol.
A spokesperson for a leading UK car scrapping business said thousands of vehicles are being written off each year due to fatigue-related crashes and more has to be done to combat the problem.
“When you think one in five crashes is fatigue related, this has to make people sit up and take notice,” the spokesperson told the Birmingham Daily Mail. “Just as there are rules for consuming an excessive amount of alcohol, should there be a case for restrictions on driving where the driver has had less than set minimum hours of sleep in the past 24 hours?”
The argument is that most drivers know when they’re feeling sleepy, and then have to make a decision about whether to carry on, or stop for a rest. It seems that way too many are still underestimating the risk of actually falling asleep behind the wheel.
Research shows that most accidents are caused by drowsy driving occurring from midnight to 8am as it is natural for your body to go to sleep when it is dark outside. Your body clock also makes you naturally sleepy in the middle of the day.
• Do you think more should be done to combat the driver fatigue menace? Have you ever ‘forced yourself’ to drive on even though you knew you were really too tired to do so? Why? Comment below.
Nope – driving tired isn’t worth it. I’ve generally recognised the fatigue and (if I’m not driving with “the boss”) I pull over and have a nap. If I’m with my wife, we regularly swap out in the driver’s seat. As a result, still alive and still motoring!
Come to think of it, tired driving is dangerous, just like drunk driving. More emphasis should be put to curb the menace.
Trying to find a rest area can also be very fatiguing.
This is a very good reason why there should be more free camps