Call for drowsy driving test as fleets warned of dangers

Fleets and their drivers are being warned about drowsy driving, with more than 430 people killed or seriously injured and 1,276 collisions, linked to tiredness in 2023.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is working with the Fatigue Group, a non-profit organisation led by NHS anaesthetists, to provide advice on managing the risk of fatigue, the importance of regular rest and recognising when people are too tired to drive, ahead of this year’s World Sleep Day on Friday (March 14).

RoSPA also wants Government to introduce standardised tests for assessing fatigue at the scene of road traffic collisions, similar to breathalyser tests for alcohol, establish a national registry of drowsy driving incidents, and run public awareness campaigns targeting high-risk groups such as shift workers.

Caitlin Taylor, road safety manager at RoSPA, said: “Drowsy driving is responsible for many serious and fatal collisions each year. 

“Fatigue impairs driving ability similar to drink or drug driving but gets much less attention. This must change.”

She added: “Fatigue slows reaction times, reduces awareness, and affects decision-making, putting everyone at risk. 

“RoSPA calls on employers, policymakers, and the Government to act now by improving workplace fatigue management, investing in public awareness campaigns, and collecting better data on fatigue-related crashes.

“No one should lose their life due to preventable driver fatigue.” 

Fatigue presents a risk across the entire workforce and that is most apparent in physically demanding industries such as haulage and construction, but can also affect people putting in long hours at an office before driving home.

RoSPA emphasises that anyone who begins to feel tired when they are driving stop as soon as is safe and possible, and ideally try and find somewhere safe to sleep until they feel rested. 

Although two strong coffees and a 15-minute nap might help in the short-term, this should never be done more than once per journey.

RoSPA is also calling upon employers to ensure their staff are well rested and safe, for example by ensuring workers take regular breaks, and incorporating effective staff fatigue risk management in working patterns.

John-Paul Lomas, of The Fatigue Group, said: “We have our own personal experience of the perils of driving while tired, having had colleagues die driving home after night shifts.

“The so-called ‘hero’ culture where people continue working despite being exhausted for fear of looking ‘weak’ or letting others down, needs to be replaced by a safety culture where staff mitigate the impacts of fatigue with power naps and rest breaks.

“Our message is simple – getting enough rest is a necessity not a weakness, and could save lives.”

The Fatigue Group is working to change the culture around managing the risk of fatigue in healthcare through education, research, and advocacy work.