Research by Brake and Direct Line shows the vast majority of drivers admit to driving while tired, and that they don’t know the difference between fact and fiction on tackling tiredness at the wheel.

The survey found that nearly three-quarters of drivers (74%) admit driving tired in the past 12 months – with almost one in ten (9%) saying they did so at least once a week.

This is a huge increase from six years ago, when 46% of drivers owned up to getting behind the wheel while tired.

An estimated one in five fatal crashes on trunk roads are caused by tired drivers although the real figure could be higher, because it can be difficult to prove when a crash was caused by a driver falling asleep. They tend to be high-speed crashes, because drivers do not brake before crashing, so the risk of death or serious injury is greater.

Despite this, most drivers simply don’t know how often they should take rest breaks to help prevent tiredness, and what to do if they get sleepy behind the wheel. The Government advises breaks every two hours on long journeys, yet Brake and Direct Line’s survey found that almost three-quarters (73%) fail to follow this advice by driving for three hours or more at a time.

Ellen Booth, Brake’s campaigns officer, said: “It is terrifying how complacent drivers are about tiredness at the wheel. It only takes a couple of seconds of sleep to cause a fatal crash, yet millions of drivers are regularly getting behind the wheel while tired, and most don’t know how to deal with sleepiness on a long journey.

“We all know when we’re feeling sleepy – we know what the warning signs are. When we’re driving we must listen to these signs without delay. Thinking that we can fight off sleep, especially using unproven methods like opening the window, is a mistake that could cost your life, or someone else’s.”

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