Driver fatigue and the devastating fatal car accidents it causes

                                                                                         

Have you ever driven on a long stretch of road and found yourself drifting off into a dream-like state? A long day at the office, a drive back from a weekend away; so many miles to cover before parking up in the driveway and heading on upstairs to bed.

It seems all too often that we jump in our cars and head off without having the recommended eight hours of sleep, completely unaware that as we turn the keys in the ignition, a fatal car accident is waiting to happen just a few miles into our journey.

This is just how van driver Christopher Findley began his day on the 2nd June 2006. The catering employee was working for a company in Glasgow and whilst travelling down to the Lake District, was involved in a fatal accident as he fell asleep at the wheel.

He started the day with his usual routine and loaded up the van with the help of his colleague Elizabeth McCloughlin. During the inquest into his death, Miss McCloughlin said the catering worker had complained of being tired and stopped the van at least twice during the journey to get some sleep.

She told Preston Coroner's Court that as they proceeded on their long journey, Mr Findley showed signs of being extremely tired.

"I noticed the van swaying and his head nodding. I asked him to stop but he said he'd be fine."

Later into the journey Miss McCloughlin fell asleep in the van and woke up to the sound of Mr Findley shouting. He had fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed the van in a serious vehicle accident along the M6. A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Findley suffered a severe head injury in the crash.

Mr Findley's accident and many like it could have been prevented. The issue of driver fatigue has been a primary topic for discussion at the Home Office (www.homeoffice.gov.uk), who are currently developing a device to measure the levels of fatigue in drivers in a bid to reduce car accidents from occurring.

The device, which has been referred to as the "Roadside Impairment Test Apparatus", could be used in the near future by police officers to check drivers' level of fatigue and their ability to use their vehicles safely. Tests to be carried out on motorists include tracking ability, short-term memory, gap estimation, information processing, sustained attention and choice.

The House of Commons transport committee commented on the proposed piece of equipment and said, "We welcome the research being undertaken by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch into a device which would help police officers reliably detect impairment in drivers.

"If such a device is shown to be effective, the Home Office should ensure that police officers have access to this equipment as soon as possible, and that they are adequately resourced and trained to make the best use of it."

The shocking reality of the driver fatigue was revealed last year in a study carried out by the motor insurance provider Saga (www.saga.co.uk) and detailed exactly just how serious the problem is.

According to Saga's research, millions of motorists are willing to continue driving when they're feeling tired. A shocking 69% of men said they would carry on driving with fatigue and 39% of women also said they would do the same.

The findings also revealed the typical methods that many drivers use in an attempt to stay awake behind the wheel in a bid to avoid a possible fatal road accident. They discovered that:

92% of people wound down their windows
69% of women raised the volume on their radios
38% of female drivers thought singing would keep them awake
31% of drivers sipped on an energy drink
24% of young drivers aged 18-24 lit up a cigarette
12% of motorists gave themselves a slap in the face

Paul Green, Head of Communications at Saga said, "Tiredness behind the wheel can be extremely dangerous and motorists should plan some breaks into long journeys to avoid becoming unsafe behind the wheel.

"People over 50 are again leading the way when it comes to becoming more responsible, if they are feeling tired they are more likely to pull over."

The research carried out by Saga is extremely alarming and highlights just how many people are putting themselves at risk from possible road accidents.

We see a number of television adverts highlighting the risk of fatal accidents caused by drink driving and using mobile phones, but fatigue is never portrayed as a genuine factor in causing serious vehicle accidents.

Hopefully, if the "Roadside Impairment Test Apparatus" is brought out in the near future for testing motorists, the number of fatal car accidents could be reduced. In the meantime, it is the driver's responsibility to make sure they've had the recommend eight hours of sleep otherwise they could find themselves living the nightmare of serious personal injuries, compensation claims and court proceedings.

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