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Drivers are winding windows down for a fresh air
wake up whilst driving on long journeys rather than stopping for a break
- 26th March 2008
A recent poll by
YouGov has found that 75% of UK
drivers will open their windows in an attempt to stay awake on journeys
when they are feeling tired.
The poll also
revealed that 4% will vigorously shake their heads and 3% will slap
their faces in an attempt to stay awake whilst at the wheel
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Think!
the government’s road safety website advises that if a driver is feeling
tired, rather than risk possible
road
accidents, they should as an emergency measure pull over when safe to do
so and have two cups of coffee or an alternative high caffeine drink and
rest for 10-15 minutes, whilst the caffeine takes effect.
The survey also showed that 24% of drivers have driven for
over four hours without taking a break, while 4% said that they had driven
for over seven hours without a break.
These figures are alarming with the chances of fatigue
increased by these long driving stints, which will then greatly increases
the chances of a
road accident. The UK Government says that on major roads one in five
crashes is caused by tired drivers.
This is putting not only the driver at risk, but also
other road users and pedestrians alike. If a tired driver does crash but is
fortunate enough not to injure anyone, they will almost certainly need to
make a road accident claim
against their insurance which would affect their no claims discount costing
them money. Drivers should
plan
their journeys to incorporate regular breaks if it is a long journey,
which is what 22% of the poll said they tried to do. 54% of drivers said
they tried to beat previous times if they had made the journey before.
The poll was carried out across 1,500 motorists. |
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