Drivers losing out on a good night's sleep are as dangerous as drunk drivers on the road. Those are the findings of a new study into the effects of tiredness on motorists.
According to the study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, losing out on just a few hours of sleep the night before puts drivers at nearly twice the risk of crashing compared to those who’ve slept the recommended seven or more hours.
The study found that a lack of sleep has similar effects to being drunk, with slower reaction times and a shorter attention span. The Sleep Council estimates that a third of Britons get just five to six hours of sleep a night, putting them at 1.9 times the normal risk of crashing.
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Reviewing the causes of 4,751 vehicle accidents in the US, the research found that driver drowsiness has caused seven per cent of all crashes and 21 per cent of all fatal accidents. In the UK, driver fatigue has been linked as a contributory factor in one in ten road fatalities.
A recent report by the AA found that one in seven drivers in the UK admit they regularly suffer memory blanks while driving, with 15 per cent unable to recall the last few moments of a journey.
|
Level of sleep |
Risk of crashing |
|
6-7 hours |
1.3 times normal risk |
|
5-6 hours |
1.9 times normal risk |
|
4-5 hours |
4.3 times normal risk |
|
Less than 4 hours |
11.5 times normal risk |
Dr David Yang, executive director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety said: “You cannot miss sleep and still expect to be able to safely function behind the wheel. Our research shows that a driver who has slept for less than five hours has a crash risk comparable to someone driving drunk.”
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Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "Even in the UK we estimate that up to 10 per cent of motorway fatalities may be due to drivers falling asleep. The usual characteristics are a lack of braking before impact and single vehicle collisions."
Have you driven while tired? Did you notice a difference? Tell us in the comments below...