[PR] Driving Tired As Lethal As Driving Drunk

Victor

http://www.rsa.ie/NEWS/News/Driver_Fatigue.html

Driving Tired As Lethal As Driving Drunk

Up to 20% of fatal crashes may be linked to driver fatigue

Latest research indicates that driver fatigue could be a contributory factor in up to a fifth of driver deaths in Ireland. They also say that driving when very tired is as dangerous as driving while over the drink drive limit.

These disturbing facts were revealed today, Thursday 26th October 2006, at the launch of the Road Safety Authority’s (RSA) winter road safety campaign. It also means that this silent killer could have been a contributory factor in almost 200 driver deaths in a recent five year period.

“The people who are most at risk of being involved in a driver fatigue related crash are drivers who try to fight the effects of sleep when driving,” explained Noel Brett, Chief Executive Road Safety Authority. “Tactics such as turning up the volume on the radio and opening the window do not work.”

“As soon as you realise you are fighting the urge to go to sleep you should stop driving,” advised Mr. Brett. “The best way to cope with this problem is to stop driving park in a safe place, drink two cups of coffee and then take a fifteen minute nap.”

Caffeine takes between twenty and thirty minutes to enter a person’s system and start working. So, by the time you wake up the caffeine should have taken effect. Following the nap stretch your legs and get some fresh air. You should now be fit to drive for approximately another hour. However in cases of extreme tiredness brought on by sleep deprivation the only cure for a lack of sleep is sleep.

The critical points at which driver fatigue related collisions happen are between 2am – 6 am and mid afternoon between 2pm – 4 pm when our ‘circadian rhythm’ or body clock is at its lowest point. Males aged 18 to 30 are in the high risk category. They tend to be over confident about their driving ability and believe they can handle the situation. Women are less likely to be involved in sleep related crashes.

If a driver persists in fighting sleep while driving the impairment level is the same as driving while over the drink drive limit. Eventually a driver will drift in and out of consciousness and experience ‘micro sleeps’ which can last for up to 10 seconds. In this time a driver has no control of the vehicle. Drivers can experience such a micro sleep with their eyes wide open.

Driver fatigue not only impairs driving in a similar way to alcohol it also magnifies the damage alcohol does. It is estimated that alcohol is twice as potent mid afternoon and in the early hours of the morning because we are more likely to be tired at these times. Consequently, people who think they are driving under the legal limit should be aware that even small amounts of alcohol consumed at these key times when we are tired combine to render a driver totally unfit for driving.

To highlight the dangers of driver fatigue the RSA has developed a ‘point of danger’ advertising campaign over the winter months. This includes a 30 second radio advert and poster advertising in forecourt garages that are designed to communicate a safety message to drivers when they are most at risk i.e. when driving.

The radio campaign features a testimonial from the brother of a driver who died after falling asleep while driving. Charlie Mitchell’s brother Francis died on the 23rd July 2005 after falling asleep at the wheel a mere 50 metres from home. His message is simple ‘My brother Fran was stone cold sober when he was killed. It was 1.30am and he fell asleep at the wheel. Fran’s injuries were horrific in a split second everything changed.”


ENDS


For further information please contact;
Brian Farrell,
Communications Manager,
Road Safety Authority
086 – 3881009

Or

Gerard Kenny,
Carr Communications,
087 - 2488393

Professor Jim Horne, Head of the Sleep Research Laboratory, Loughborough University, UK, advising the NSC said driver fatigue could be a factor in 1 in 5 crashes in Ireland.

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) state that driver fatigue is conservatively estimated to be a factor in about 20% of road crashes in Europe.

http://www.rsa.ie/NEWS/upload/File/Driver%20Fatigue%20The%20Facts.doc

Driver Fatigue The Facts


What is driver fatigue?
Fatigue is the physical and mental impairment brought about by inadequate rest over a period of time. Ideally, each individual needs seven / eight hours of sleep each night. Drivers who are suffering from a sleep debt are at risk of "nodding off" whilst driving and substantially increasing their risk of being involved in a crash.

If a driver persists in fighting sleep while driving the impairment level is the same as driving while over the drink drive limit. Eventually a driver will drift in and out of consciousness and experience ‘micro sleeps’ which can last for up to 10 seconds. Drivers can have a micro sleep with their eyes wide open

If a driver has a ‘micro sleep’ for just four seconds while travelling at a speed of 100 km/h the car will have travelled 111 metres without a driver in control.

How big of a problem is driver fatigue?
Fatigue is not normally referred to on road crash report forms in Ireland. Therefore the incidence of fatigue related crashes is hidden by systematic under-reporting.

• The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) state that driver fatigue is conservatively estimated to be a factor in about 20% of road crashes in Europe.
• Furthermore, their incidence increases with the degree of seriousness of the crash. Fatigue is disproportionately represented in single-vehicle crashes (25% of such crashes) but head-on collisions could also be fatigue related to a far greater extent than other types of crash.(ETSC).
• According to VicRoads Victoria, Australia, 21% of fatal crashes were thought to be fatigue-related in 2003 and about 30% of severe single vehicle crashes in rural area are believed to be linked to driver fatigue.
• Professor Jim Horne, Head of the Sleep Research Laboratory, Loughborough University, UK, advising the NSC said driver fatigue could be a factor in 1 in 5 crashes in Ireland.

Who is at risk?
Young People - many young people have lifestyles that involve frequent late night activities, not getting enough sleep, taking risks, and being on the roads during night-time hours.

Shift Workers - shift workers are more likely to have disrupted sleep patterns which lead to fatigue more often. Night shift workers have the greatest risk of sleep disruption.

Goods Vehicle Drivers –Commercial pressures means that goods vehicle drivers are under huge time pressures, and will often push themselves to the limit. A sedentary lifestyle and often poor diet also puts them in the high risk group for driver fatigue.

People with Sleep Disorders – if left untreated, some conditions such as sleep apnoea and insomnia can lead to disrupted sleep on a regular basis. Constantly feeling sleepy can impair the ability to drive safely.

All Drivers - Fatigue itself increases crash risk. The risk is much greater with alcohol as even small amounts of alcohol can affect alertness. Fatigue combined with alcohol severely degrades driving skills.

What to do if you are a tired driver
1. NEVER DRIVE IF YOU'RE FIGHTING SLEEP.

2 When you start fighting sleep at the wheel, your impairment is as dangerous as driving over the legal alcohol limit.

3. Stop and take a nap for 15 minutes- (set your mobile phone alarm)

4. To really make the most of your break take a Caffeine drink before the nap (150mg of Caffeine e.g. 2 cups of coffee).

5. After the nap, get some fresh air and stretch your legs.

6. By following all of the above advice you should be able to drive for another hour or more.

Seth Brundle

So if you are driving across our motorway network and feeling a bit sleepy, pull over into one of our state of the art rest areas and get coffee or a meal or even just strretch your legs. You could also fill up your car whilst there. Oh wait...

Conar

kbannon wrote:

So if you are driving across our motorway network and feeling a bit sleepy, pull over into one of our state of the art rest areas and get coffee or a meal or even just strretch your legs. You could also fill up your car whilst there. Oh wait...

Don't be so cynical, obviously you should be carrying a thermos flask filled with fresh coffee at all times when driving.

Seth Brundle

Conar wrote:

Don't be so cynical, obviously you should be carrying a thermos flask filled with fresh coffee at all times when driving.

So if you are on a motorway and would like to pull over for a drink/sleep/wc where is safe to do so?
Obviously you can't but even if you exit the motorway there is in all likleyhood nowhere appropriate - especially at night!