Falling asleep at the wheel 'common among drivers'
Wednesday 13 July 2011 Back to Blog
Citroen Relay van drivers may be interested to hear about one charity's warnings about driving when tired.
New research conducted by Brake and Cambridge Weight Plan has revealed that one in eight individuals has drifted off to sleep while behind the wheel at some point in the last year.
A survey showed that a quarter of motorists have embarked on a journey when feeling drowsy, which could explain the number of "head-nodding' instances.
The term refers to when individuals snooze for between two and 30 seconds often without realising they were asleep.
Julie Townsend, Brake's campaigns director, said: "Tiredness at the wheel kills. Driving a vehicle is a huge responsibility that must be taken seriously."
She added that the government needs to raise awareness about the dangerous consequences that getting behind the wheel tired can have.
According to recent government research, 20 per cent of accidents on major roads are sleep-related.