Male drivers urged to wake up to dangers of tired driving

Male drivers urged to wake up to dangers of tired driving, as survey finds nearly half have nodded off at the wheel

Male drivers are being urged to get plenty of sleep and take regular breaks, as research from Brake and Direct Line reveals a horrifying 45% admit ‘head-nodding' at the wheel - meaning they have been asleep briefly, risking appalling crashes.

Brake and Direct Line's survey reveals:

• One in three drivers overall (31%) admit ‘head-nodding' at the wheel - nearly half (45%) of male drivers and one in five (22%) female drivers.
• One in 14 drivers overall (7%) admit actually ‘falling asleep' at the wheel - 14% of male drivers and 2% of female drivers.
• Almost half (49%) of drivers admit driving after less than five hours' sleep - not nearly enough for safe driving. Again, this is more common among men (55%) than women (45%).

Many drivers aren't aware that if you ‘head nod' (also called ‘micro-sleeps') you have already nodded off, putting yourself and others in a huge amount of danger. Micro-sleeps can last from two to 30 seconds, meaning that a frighteningly large number of drivers have been temporarily out of control of their vehicles.

Tired driving kills at least 300 people on UK roads every year, with a devastating impact on families across the country - although the actual figure could be much higher as driver tiredness can be hard to prove as a cause of crashes. More facts below.

Brake urges all drivers to help stamp out devastating crashes by making a pledge to always getting a good night's sleep before driving, taking two-hourly breaks, and pulling over somewhere safe as soon as safe to do so, if feeling tired.

Brake also calls on the government to run more campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of driving when tired and how to avoid it, as well as calling on them to conduct a review of safe stopping places on motorways, ensuring there are enough to enable drivers to take regular breaks.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, said: "The fact that so many drivers - especially men - have head-nodded at the wheel is horrifying, even more so that many don't recognise this means they have fallen asleep briefly.

"This survey suggests this is down to many people failing to ensure they always get sufficient sleep before embarking on journeys.

"We need all drivers to wake up to the fact that ‘head nodding' is falling asleep, and can easily lead to catastrophe, but it can, of course be prevented.

"Brake urges all drivers to pledge to get a good night's sleep before driving, take breaks every two hours, and never try to ‘plough on' when they're tired, because sleep can ensue so quickly. Ultimately, getting home to your loved ones a bit later is better than never getting there at all."

Rob Miles, director of Motor at Direct Line, commented: "Tiredness and driving are a deadly combination. Not only is there a risk of falling asleep at the wheel, but when we are tired our reactions and awareness of our surroundings are not as sharp as they would normally be. Regular breaks, at least every two hours, are essential for staying alert and awake, as is getting plenty of sleep the night before."