It is important motorists do all they can to combat tiredness on the road.<\/p>\n
We've all seen the signs on the motorway telling us to take a break if we're feeling tired, but it seems not all of us are taking on board all advice designed to help us stay awake at the wheel.<\/p>\n
According to new research from road safety charity Brake and Direct Line, may motorists are failing to follow simple tips designed to combat tiredness on the road.<\/p>\n
Indeed, it was shown that more than half of those questioned (55 per cent) are ignoring the basic advice of resting every two hours on a long journey. What's more, nine per cent of respondents admitted they do not stop for a break at all unless they feel they absolutely have to.<\/p>\n
It is particularly important for drivers to listen to this advice during the summer months, as this is a time when people tend to set off on longer journeys to go on breaks in the UK and abroad.<\/p>\n
The research – which took in the views of 1,000 drivers from across the UK – revealed 45 per cent of those quizzed have failed to get at least seven hours' sleep the night before a big trip.<\/p>\n
This is of particular significance as people only have a one in ten chance of keeping their eyes open for the full length of a journey when they just get five hours of sleep.<\/p>\n
Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive at Brake, said: "A large proportion of the driving public are scarily confident they can push on through on long drives without stopping.<\/p>\n
"In reality, regular breaks – at least every two hours – are essential for staying alert and awake, as is getting plenty of sleep the night before."<\/p>\n
She explained feeling sleepy is something that can catch people unawares and will only take a matter of seconds to take hold – yet the consequences of it can be very serious, especially if it occurs when driving at high speed on the motorway.<\/p>\n
Posted by Peter Murray<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is important motorists do all they can to combat tiredness on the road. We've all seen the signs on the motorway telling us to take a break if we're feeling tired, but it seems not all of us are taking on board all advice designed to help us stay awake at the wheel. According […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[531],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-expert-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n