Friday 14th October 2005

Falling asleep is bad: campaign

Tired drivers cause crashes - not speed, then?

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Sleep causes 20% of m-way crashes

A safety campaign has come up with the astonishing conclusion that falling asleep behind the wheel can kill you.

As part of its winter driving campaign RoadSafe, a partnership of motoring and transport companies, plus the UK Government and road safety professionals, is reminding drivers that falling asleep at the wheel accounts for up to 20 per cent of crashes on motorways or similar roads, and as many as one in 10 of all crashes on Britain's roads.

Government research shows that:

• An estimated 300 people a year are killed where a driver has fallen asleep at the wheel
• If you fall asleep at the wheel you are 50 per cent 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 2pm-4pm.
• People who drive as part of their job are more at risk with about 40 per cent of sleep related crashes being work-related – as they involve commercial vehicles
• Alcohol and drugs (including some medicines) can make you more tired without you realising it

RoadSafe director Adrian Walsh said: "When driving at night, extra care should be taken to plan journeys and to make sure that you are not too tired."

In addition, the sleep unit at Loughborough University, which won a Prince Michael Road Safety Award in 2003, say that men aged below 30 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.

Their findings include:

• 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
• All sleepy drivers are aware of their tiredness, particularly when they reach the stage of 'fighting sleep' (doing things to keep themselves awake, such as winding down the window)
• 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.

While the campaign's reminder is helpful and could lead to safer roads, you'd have to question the stats. If tiredness makes so high a contribution to crashes, how does that gel with the Government's relentless message that speed kills?

[nelly1]

This [i]is[/i] a joke, right?

Name: RoadSafe
Specialist subject: The Bleedin' obvious !!

The government have paid someone to find out that "....a sleeping driver does not react before a crash"

Oy vey!! :rolleyes:

[CupraR]

"If you fall asleep at the wheel you are 50 per cent more likely to die or suffer serious injury because a sleeping driver does not react before a crash"

Only 50 per cent more likely?



>> Edited by CupraR on Friday 14th October 10:21

[r988]

CupraR said:

"If you fall asleep at the wheel you are 50 per cent more likely to die or suffer serious injury because a sleeping driver does not react before a crash" Only 50 per cent more likely?

I like those odds!

[wab172uk]

Falling asleep at the wheel DOES NOT kill you. Crashing does

[Splodge S4]

Right heres a spanner in the works, I used to drive from Germany back to the UK over night & of course you feel sleepy, the best cure i found was to put your foot down, cruise at 70/80 & your nodding off, get to 100 & over & your wide awake & concentrating, so if pulled would you be better to admit to being awake & speeding or within the limit & asleep?

Oh & stay away from asleep speeding drivers as they are the worst.....

[grahamw48]

Ok, disarm all the gatsos, and just get them to shout WAKE UP !!! every time a vehicle passes.

Soon foam padding will be fitted alongside all roads.
This to supplement the miles and miles of stupid lines, arrows, coloured lights splodges, bumps and various silly patterns and markings now littering our highways.

When the eyes are overloaded with all this crap dreamed up by pencil pushers with (our) money to waste, then they get tired.

[J99NNO]

No S**t Sherlock.

They needed to do a survey to work that out?

[dogwatch]

A colleague once confessed to having fallen asleep for a second or two on the way home in late afternoon. Luckily he was on a quiet rural road but woke up to find himself on the opposite side.

[Peter Ward]

There's an answer to this problem that's so simple I don't know why nobody's thought of it before.

All you need to do is modify the gatsos to recognise eyelids. Then, if you drive past a gatso with your eyes closed you automatically get a NIP for being asleep while driving.

Now, it may erroneously pick up people who just blink, but let's face it, blinking is just the first step in "drifting off to sleep" (as Mr Brunstrom would no doubt put it) so that's ok. Also, it won't actually prevent sleeping at the time, just punish you for it afterwards, but the government accepts that approach for other things like foot patrols vs. murder investigations so that's ok as well.

This way, the sleepy camera partnerships will be self-funding while doing all they can to prevent death by sleeping. Anyone see a flaw in my plan?

[LHudson]

Splodge is absolutely right - a dose of adrenalin banishes tiredness completely.

[NormanD]

I was reading the Government report, but I have to admit


'I fell asleep'

[the pits]

Trouble is, there's nothing like a constant 70 to make you feel drowsy. They should release videos of motorway driving to help insomniacs.

I am a better, safer, more alert, more awake driver over 70 mph.

[kevinday]

Splodge is absolutely correct, your concentration level increases with roadspeed until you reach your comfort level. This level will depend on the road, the vehicle, the external conditions etc, so is never the same twice. I am quite experienced in driving from Calais to Budapest with just a few short stops, best time was 14 hours (it is 1,000 miles).

[annodomini2]

Well DUH!!

Which Dime Bar came up with this and its just another example of how the government is wasting our money.

[raw-sewedge]

well I never

[jonlodge]

After years of driving along at the back of mini convoys caused by w**kers in green cars (nearly always at the head of a queue, or second in line and can't overtake) and suffering from boredom/sleepiness, I have found chewing gum is great antidote to falling asleep. Just watch you don't choke!

[g0kyk]

We are desperately short of suitable places where drivers can pull off the road and rest for a while if they are tired, motorway service areas discourage drivers from having a decent rest period by charging them to park up and rest, we have a lot to learn from other countries. We are told to stop and rest but have often driven for miles just looking for somwhere to stop safely, unless they can charge, you can't stop.

[grahamw48]

g0kyk said:

We are desperately short of suitable places where drivers can pull off the road and rest for a while if they are tired, motorway service areas discourage drivers from having a decent rest period by charging them to park up and rest, we have a lot to learn from other countries. We are told to stop and rest but have often driven for miles just looking for somwhere to stop safely, unless they can charge, you can't stop.

Very true.... and to take a P.

Gatsos etc, can be afforded, but not vandal/pervert- proof bogs.
We're still peeing in hedge-bottoms, in a so-called
civilised country.

Imagine how it must be for some unfortunate hedgehog, having just risked life and limb in crossing the A5, only to be given a golden shower, or worse, by some bloke with bursting bowels.

[jonesyx]

Article said:

If you fall asleep at the wheel you are 50 per cent more likely to die or suffer serious injury.

Honestly?!

[antispeed]

Peter Ward said:

There's an answer to this problem that's so simple I don't know why nobody's thought of it before. All you need to do is modify the gatsos to recognise eyelids. Then, if you drive past a gatso with your eyes closed you automatically get a NIP for being asleep while driving. Now, it may erroneously pick up people who just blink, but let's face it, blinking is just the first step in "drifting off to sleep" (as Mr Brunstrom would no doubt put it) so that's ok. Also, it won't actually prevent sleeping at the time, just punish you for it afterwards, but the government accepts that approach for other things like foot patrols vs. murder investigations so that's ok as well. This way, the sleepy camera partnerships will be self-funding while doing all they can to prevent death by sleeping. Anyone see a flaw in my plan?

NO !! NONE AT ALL!!