because they were so tired.
As a result of the survey’s findings, company car and van drivers are being urged not to drive for longer than two hours without taking a break. The trend in tired driving is worryingly prolific.
one-in-10 drivers also admitted they had hit the rumble strip, while two-in-five (40%) had turned down the heating or rolled down the windows in order to stop them from being tired.
IAM RoadSmart’s director of policy and research, Neil Greig, commented on the findings:
“Fatigue behind the wheel is a very serious problem, perhaps more concerning than previously thought of. The potential carnage that could result from even one accident doesn’t bear thinking about”.
Over 50% of drivers said they were very concerned about fatigue when driving long distances. One positive finding from the survey however, was around a quarter of drivers had pulled over for a rest or a coffee as the road safety experts advise.
Greig continued:
“Driving a long distance needs pre-planning to ensure there are plenty of available rest places and to make sure there’s enough time to complete the journey if delays are encountered,”
“Never drive for longer than two hours without a break and take particular care if driving when you would normally be asleep. This is even more important as the country reopens after the pandemic and not all facilities may be available yet.
“Drivers can then concentrate on staying alert behind the wheel rather than staving off tiredness by trying to reach their end destination without adequate rest breaks”.
