NATIONWIDE CAR INSURANCE CLAIM ADVICE
DRIVER FATIGUE
Research carried out by Loughborough University on behalf of The Department of Transport and Local Government suggests that one car insurance claim in ten is caused by driver fatigue. According to the road safety organization ‘Brake’ about ten people a week die on our roads from injuries caused by fatigue at the wheel.
Driver fatigue has been described as the ‘Silent Killer’ and there is mounting evidence that it plays a part in a high proportion of road traffic accidents. Some studies have shown that drowsiness accounts for 16% of all crashes and over 20% of motorway crashes. In a recent poll carried out by Gallup on behalf of the British Sleep Foundation, 19% of male drivers said they had fallen asleep while driving.
Cars are now much quieter and more comfortable than they were years ago, and relatively new innovations like cruise control mean that the driver has far less to do. Even without cruise control boredom soon sets in if a driver sticks at 70mph on a quiet motorway with few decisions to make. The time of day is an important factor in sleep related crashes and drivers are particularly at risk during the early hours of the morning or the middle of the afternoon. Drivers who have not had a good nights sleep prior to a long journey are more at risk of driver fatigue than those who have.
Sleep does not occur without warning and prior to actually falling asleep the driver experiences feelings of increased sleepiness where they have to constantly blink their eyes and shake their head in an attempt to fight off sleep. In the most serious cases the driver loses the willpower to act and mistakenly believes that they can stay awake. At the first sign of tiredness, rather than following the traditional remedy of simply winding down the window, which has only a short-term effect, the driver should stop as soon as it is safe. High energy drinks usually have high concentrations of caffeine and can assist in improving concentration if the driver starts to flag. A driver who willfully drives without having had enough sleep or who drives when the signs of tiredness become obvious may find that his insurers refuse to cover him if he makes a car insurance claim.
Drivers must avoid taking medicines that cause drowsiness as a side effect. Anti motion-sickness pills, anti histamines and some cold and flu remedies that can be bought over the counter at pharmacies and supermarkets can make driving dangerous and drivers should read the label for any warnings regarding driving or operating machinery.
