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One in ten at-work drivers say they fall asleep at the wheel
4 January 2008
One in ten people who drive for work (10%) have admitted falling asleep at the wheel in the past year, according to new research by road safety charity Brake and Green Flag.
The shocking figure is more than twice as high as the number of drivers who don't drive for work but who say they have fallen asleep in the past year, which is still an alarmingly high one in 25 drivers (4%).
Nodding off for just a second or two at the wheel can kill: travelling at 60mph on a motorway (one of the main types of road where fatigue commonly occurs), a driver covers 27 metres (88 feet) per second.
One of the main causes of nodding off at the wheel is insufficient sleep the night before. The research has found that people who drive for work are more likely to drive after insufficient sleep. Half (50%) of people who drive for work who were surveyed say they sometimes drive after less than five hours' sleep, compared to just over a third (35%) of people who drive only outside work. Research shows that if you drive after less than five hours' sleep, you have just a one in ten chance of staying fully awake on a lengthy journey1.
An estimated six people die each week in crashes caused by tired drivers2. Tired driving crashes tend to be high-speed, as drivers do not brake, meaning the risk of death or serious injury is greater than in some other types of crashes3.
With the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter Act approaching (6 April 2008), employers who fail to ensure their employees drive safely during work time, leading to a fatal crash, will face a greater risk of prosecution (see Notes to editors).
Brake is urging all companies with employees who drive for work (including professional drivers and reps or managers who drive to meetings or appointments) to ensure they have robust systems in place to prevent tired driving. This includes having a thorough safe driving policy, setting realistic schedules and ensuring employees are aware of the dangers of driving tired. To combat this real killer, Brake has produced a free tiredness risk management pack for companies on preventing tired driving, which is available from Brake's Fleet Safety Forum division by calling 01484 559909 or emailing fleetsafetyforum@brake.org.uk (see Notes to editors).
Brake and Green Flag are also calling on all drivers to take responsibility for making sure they are fit to drive, including ensuring they have a good night's sleep before driving and allowing time to take regular breaks (at least 15 minutes every two hours). People who drive for work should also:
- Talk to their employer if they feel their schedule is unrealistic and could encourage tired driving;
- Inform their employer if they are having trouble sleeping or taking medication that can cause drowsiness;
- Stay within driving hours as stated by company policy (or Government legislation where applicable);
- Encourage their employer to access guidance from Brake on fleet safety including tiredness issues.
Brake is also calling on the Government to invest in high-profile TV media campaigns to raise awareness about tired driving among companies and individual drivers so they know the extent of the problem and how to tackle it.
Case studies
Richard Scott from Derbyshire was lucky to survive a crash in 1998. Richard was driving home from Heathrow on the motorway after getting off a long flight from Shanghai. Exhausted, Richard fell asleep at the wheel, and woke up as the car began to slip out of control. It turned on its roof, trapping Richard inside, and ended up on the hard shoulder. Richard had to be pulled out through the windscreen. Richard says: "I know I am lucky to be alive, I still keep the licence plate from that car as a reminder to me of the dangers of driving tired. It is tempting to think you are okay to drive if you feel a bit tired, but I learned the hard way what falling asleep can ensue all too easily. Thankfully no-one else was injured, and I recovered, but I urge all drivers never to risk getting behind the wheel if there is any chance you might be too tired."
Cathy Keeler, head of campaigns for Brake, says: "Too many people are dying on our roads because people get behind the wheel when impaired through tiredness. It is outrageous that so many companies allow their employees to drive on company time when they are so tired that they actually fall asleep. It's crucial that companies introduce thorough procedures to ensure employees are not endangering themselves and others when driving for work. But drivers themselves must also take responsibility. Getting behind the wheel when you've not had enough sleep is deadly."
Abi Clark, spokesperson for Green Flag, says: "All drivers should be fully alert when on the roads. Our research shows that people who drive for work are even more likely to be tired at the wheel than those who don't. However, the message is simple for all drivers: ensure you get sufficient sleep the night before you drive. If you nod off at the wheel, even for just a second, it can have serious consequences for all road users."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Brake
Brake is an independent national road safety charity. Brake exists to stop the 9 deaths and 82 serious injuries that happen on UK roads every day and to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. Brake produces educational road safety literature, runs community training programmes and runs events including Road Safety Week (10-16 November 2008). Brake's Fleet Safety Forum provides up-to-date fleet safety resources to fleet managers and runs a year-round programme of events. BrakeCare, Brake's support division, cares for road crash victims through a helpline and other services.
Green Flag
- Green Flag provides roadside rescue and breakdown recovery 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Green Flag's incident management centre in Leeds manages around 1m breakdown incidents each year.
- Green Flag has an average call out time of around 40-minutes based on research undertaken between February 2006 and January 2007.
- More than 85% of Green Flag customers get assistance within the hour (Internal monitoring between March 2006 - February 2007).
- More than 80% of vehicles are repaired at the roadside (Internal monitoring between March 2006 - February 2007).
- Customers have access to a national network of thousands of independent recovery agents in the UK and on mainland Europe
Brake and Green Flag survey
These results are from a survey of 4,640 drivers including 2,510 drivers who drive for work ('at-work drivers', does not include commuting), carried out across the UK.
Respondents were asked:
Within the past 12 months, how often have you fallen asleep at the wheel?
- 2% of at-work drivers have fallen asleep at the wheel three times or more, compared to 0% of other drivers
- 2% of at-work drivers have fallen asleep at the wheel twice, compared to 1% of other drivers
- 6% of at-work drivers have fallen asleep at the wheel once, compared to 3% of other drivers
- 89% of at-work drivers have not fallen asleep at the wheel, compared to 94% of other drivers
- 1% of at-work drivers did not answer, compared to 2% of other drivers
Within the past 12 months, how often have you driven after less than five hours' sleep the night before?
- 1% of at-work drivers have driven once a day or more frequently after less than five hours' sleep, compared to 1% of other drivers
- 3% of at-work drivers have driven several times a week after less than five hours' sleep, compared to 3% of other drivers
- 2% of at-work drivers have driven once a week after less than five hours' sleep, compared to 2% of other drivers
- 4% of at-work drivers have driven once a month after less than five hours' sleep, compared to 3% of other drivers
- 40% of at-work drivers have driven once or twice after less than five hours' sleep, compared to 26% of other drivers
- 49% of at-work drivers have not driven after less than five hours' sleep, compared to 65% of other drivers
- 1% of at-work drivers and 0% of other drivers did not answer
About the Corporate Manslaughter Act:
The Corporate Manslaughter Act will make it easier to prosecute organisations if their negligence leads to a death. Currently organisations can only be prosecuted if a failure can be attributed to a 'controlling mind'. From April 2008 an organisation will be guilty of the new offence if the way in which its activities are managed or organised causes a death and amounts to a gross breach of a 'duty of care' to the person killed.
For full details on understanding the Corporate Manslaughter Act and penalties - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/manslaughterhomicideact07.pdf
Sources
- Department for Transport, Road Research Report No.51 (2004)
- Department for Transport, Road Research Report No.51 (2004)
- Department for Transport, www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk
