February 2001, Yorkshire, a tired driver momentarily loses concentration veers off a bridge and slams onto a railway track; the ensuing rail crash claims ten victims.  The driver is sentenced to five years.* BBC News 

Snap forward three and a half years,  October 2004, Lincolnshire, a fatigued driver kills a mother of three after completing three 15-hour shifts as a long distance lorry driver; he is sentenced to three years. *

Those are just two examples of fatal accidents caused by tried drivers. Government research published by the Department of Transport suggests that tiredness might be a factor in as many as 20% of accidents - which is more than drink drivers.  There’s no denying that anyone who is tired will not only have reduced reaction speed but in some cases can actually fall asleep at the wheel thus losing control of the vehicle.

Falling asleep at the wheel can be fatal. At 70 miles an hour nodding off for only three seconds will mean you have travelled nearly 100 meters during your sleep, easily enough distance to cause a fatal accident, and the maximum penalty for death by dangerous driving is 14 years in prison. 

Even with these shocking statistics many of us will not think twice about driving when tired, but it is quite clear that we should.  Luckily there’s plenty of information how to spot the symptoms of tiredness and avoiding driving while tired. 

Research shows that normally sleep doesn’t occur without your body giving you plenty of indication that you’re tired. Most of us know what these indications are but for those of us that don’t they include difficulty concentrating, yawning and heavy eyelids.

If you experience these symptoms you should find somewhere safe to stop and have a rest, maybe have a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage, you could also have a ‘power’ nap but remember these are only temporary solutions, if you’re tired the best course of action is to pull over and get a proper sleep.

To prevent these symptoms happening while you’re driving you should avoid travelling late at night, avoid travelling when you have been awake for long periods of time and plan your journey to include lots of breaks (at least 15-minutes every two hours). 

We hope that this has informed you a bit about the huge danger of driving while tried and that we may have persuaded you to think twice about driving when you feel that way.  

Stay safe everyone!

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This Article was written by Tiger (Price comparison site)