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Help, Safety & Advice
- Road safety
- Motoring advice
- Driving in Europe
- Driving in Europe: the law
- Driving in Europe: practicalities
- Driving in Europe: road safety
- How to load your car
- Combating fatigue
- Driving in Europe: driving abroad in winter
- Driving in Europe: before you set off
- Take the scenic route
- Which country is safest?
- Taking a caravan on holiday
- Taking children on holiday
- Driving at night
- If the worst happens
- Fast driving
- Dealing with jams
- Summer Drivetime Magazine
- Winter Drivetime Magazine
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Combating fatigue
According to Think Road Safety, around one in five accidents on major roads in the UK are caused by tired drivers. Driving on your holiday is likely to involve long distances and there is a good chance you'll end up feeling tired - and that's when you can put yourself, your passengers and other road users in danger.
Studies have shown that falling asleep at the wheel does not occur without warning. If you find yourself fighting off drowsiness by opening a window or turning up the radio, then a warning light should start flashing in your head. It means you are tired and the only sensible thing to do is to stop and take a short break.
Stop if you feel tired
The Department for Transport recommends stopping as soon as possible if you feel tired - although not on the hard shoulder of a motorway. If you can, drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeine drink (putting a few of these in the car before you set off is a good idea, particularly if you're going to be driving in a country that may not have as many service stations as the UK). Once you've had your drink, rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow time for the caffeine to kick in before you continue on your way.
This should allow you to continue driving for a short time, but it is not recommended as a technique to be repeated over long periods. The only real cure for tiredness is a proper sleep. If you start to feel drowsy, don't try to be macho and plough on regardless. According to the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, men aged 30 years and under are more likely to fall asleep at the wheel. This is partly because they are more likely to press on with a journey even when tired.
Prevention rather than cure
The safest course of action is to do all you can to prevent tiredness becoming a problem in the first place. Firstly, incorporate a 15-minute break every two hours into your journey plan. If you are planning a long drive to reach a ferry port for a certain time, for example, don't forget to build in stops when calculating your set-off time.
Don't start a long trip if you are already tired. Also, it's probably best not to leave all the packing until the night before you leave, when instead you should be having a good, worry-free night's sleep. And maybe there is another driver on the journey who could share the driving? - making sure, of course, that the person is insured to drive the vehicle.
It's also a good idea to avoid long trips between midnight and 6am, if possible. The dead of night presents a particular risk for sleep-related crashes as it is when your 'body clock' is in a natural trough. There is another, smaller trough between about 2pm and 4pm.
Microsleeps
'Microsleeps' are potentially fatal dozes that last between two and 30 seconds and normally occur when you are tired but trying to stay awake. Don't let them sneak up on you when you are driving. If you find yourself yawning and struggling to keep your eyes open, then stop driving. As the adage goes, it is better to arrive late than never.
If you're driving abroad don't forget to make sure you have adequate breakdown cover and plan your route with our Route Planner.
Sources:
www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/hu/groups/sleep/ publications/driver_sleepiness.html
