‘t become a statistic this Easter, fight the signs of fatigue with a good nights sleep

Fatigue is the silent killer on Australian roads and could be responsible for up to 30% of all road deaths.  It is also thought to be responsible for a greater percentage of serious injury crashes, leaving many people with debilitating injuries for the rest of their lives. The reaction time of a driver who has been awake for 17 – 19 hours is similar to the reaction time of a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05. Not sleeping for 20-25 hours will reduce a driver’s reaction time to the equivalent reaction time of someone with a BAC of 0.10.

Virtually everyone is at risk of drowsy driving, especially those who are deprived of sleep, driving long distances without rest breaks, driving through the night or at other times when they are normally asleep, taking medications that increase sleepiness or drinking alcohol, driving alone, driving on long, rural, boring roads, and those who are frequent travelers. Remember to get plenty of rest the night before a long trip. You should not be driving if you feel tired.

Ten tips for avoiding fatigue

1. Avoid beginning a trip at the end of a day’s work
2. Ensure you have adequate sleep and are well-rested the night before you set out
3. Don’t drive at times when you would normally be asleep e.g. early hours of the morning
4. Schedule regular rest breaks outside the vehicle – 10-15 minutes rest every two hours
5. Share the driving where possible
6. Never drink alcohol (not even small quantities) before or during long trips
7. Eat proper and well-balanced meals preferably at your normal mealtimes
8. Try to maintain a cool temperature inside the vehicle
9. Don’t drive while taking medication that may affect your driving – check labels on medicine
10. Allow extra time and take a powernap if tired

Ten signs of fatigue

1. Constant yawning
2. Drifting in your lane of traffic
3. Sore or heavy eyes
4. Trouble keeping your head up
5. Delayed reactions
6. Loss of attention, daydreaming or “zoning out”
7. Difficulty remembering the last few kilometres
8. Variations in driving speed
9. Mood swings such as irritability or boredom
10. Blurry vision or “seeing things” e.g. objects or shadows on the roadside appear distorted