Hi All,
I'm on BBC Radio Derby today at 5:45 talking about driver sleepiness. This follows a DfT report published today:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/d ... 032139.pdf
Here's the DfT press release issued yesterday:
=================================
19 October 2004
DRIVERS WARNED ABOUT THE DANGERS OF DRIVING TIRED
PLEASE NOTE EMBARGO
Not for publication or broadcast before
0001 hours Tuesday 19 Oct 2004
The stark dangers of driving tired were highlighted in new research
published today by Road Safety Minister David Jamieson.
The research on selected motorways and trunk roads shows that:
* 17% of road crashes resulting in injury or death were sleep
related;
* One quarter of all road crashes that caused death or serious injury
were sleep related;
* 85% of drivers causing sleep related crashes were men;
* 67% of sleep related crashes were caused by car drivers and 32%
were caused by drivers of good vehicles;
* While road crashes occur mostly on Fridays, these sleep related
crashes occurred least on Fridays and mostly on Mondays.
The findings coincide with a new phase of Department for Transport
(DfT) radio advertising alerting drivers to the dangers of
'microsleeps'. Microsleeps are potentially fatal dozes which last
between two and 30 seconds and normally occur when people are tired
but trying to stay awake. The advertising underpins the Department's
message that people should plan their journeys with time added for
regular breaks.
David Jamieson, Road Safety Minister said:
"This research demonstrates the problem and extent of driving tired.
Our campaign aims to highlight how dangerous it is, so that people
realise the importance of planning their journeys and taking regular
breaks. We're all guilty of wanting to get to places as quickly as
possible but a short break can make all the difference."
To avoid the dangers of driving tired, the DfT recommends:
* On long journeys, plan your trip to include a 15-minute break every
two hours;
* Stopping in a safe place (not the hard shoulder of the motorway)
and drinking two cups of coffee or a high caffeine drink, followed by
a 15 minute nap (while the caffeine kicks in) is an effective way of
combating tiredness. It will make very little difference to your
journey time;
* Don't start your journey tired. Be aware of the risks if you get up
unusually early to start your trip, or have a long drive back at the
end of your holiday;
* If you're feeling sleepy, opening the window for cold air or
turning up the radio are of very limited benefit and sufficient only
while trying to find a safe place for a break.
The DfT spends approximately £1m per year on 'Think! Don't Drive
Tired messages. This includes:
* Advice and guidance encouraging people not to start a journey
tired, to take a break in a safe place (not on the hard shoulder) and
drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeine drink, followed by a
15-minute nap (while the caffeine kicks in) to help combat tiredness.
* Regular advertising campaigns, posters in motorway service areas,
truck back messages and advisory leaflets.
* Signs at key locations and variable message signs warning drivers
of the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel.
* Making links with private sector companies to work in partnership
with the DfT to communicate our driver tiredness road safety
messages.
Notes to Editors
1. The research, conducted by Loughborough University Sleep Research
Centre, will be available at
www.dft.gov.uk. PDF versions are
available on 18 October from the press office number below.
2. The new wave of DfT advertising runs until 31 Oct. The radio
advert can be accessed at
www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk or call the
press office on the number below for a copy.
3. The DfT estimates that about 300 people a year are killed and many
more are seriously injured where a driver has fallen asleep at the
wheel.
Press Enquires: 020 7944 3066
E-mail:
press@dft.gov.uk
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport Website:
http://www.dft.gov.uk
=======================================
And here's the Safe Speed response, issued at about 5:30am today:
PR144: Fatal flaw in driver sleepiness research
NEWS: For immediate release
On the day that the DfT releases new research proving that driver
sleepiness is a huge road safety issue, Safe Speed warns that vital
factors are still not even being considered. Nevertheless, Safe Speed
strongly supports the DfT's initiative to raise public awareness of
the important consequences of driver sleepiness.
The factor that is being ignored is the crucial relationship between
speed and driver attention. When forced to drive too slowly by traffic
or by regulations we risk getting bored and not paying full attention.
Poor attention strongly contributes to the risk of falling asleep at the
wheel.
There is plenty of science to explain the relationship between "work
rate" and attention levels. Too much work and we get stressed and
perform badly. Too little work and we get bored and perform badly. In
the middle of the range is optimal work rate and optimal attention
levels.
It should be obvious that driving slowly leads to a low work rate and
boredom while driving too quickly leads to very high work rates and
stress. Yet, according to Professor Jim Horne, no research has been
carried out into the subject.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign explains:
"It's very simple. We need our drivers to operate in the optimal range
as much as possible. We need them to be fully engaged in the task of
driving - neither stressed nor bored. The vast majority of drivers
will find a safe and appropriate balance for themselves. But - and
this is important - the correct balance varies from individual to
individual."
Paul continues: "Forcing motorists to drive at standard speeds,
frequently below their optimal range, will simply exacerbate problems
with driver inattention and driver sleepiness. As usual, the
Government has no research to offer into this particular side effect
of "speed kills" road safety policy."
Heavy Goods Vehicles:
The DfT tells us that 1 in 3 sleep related road accidents are caused
by heavy goods vehicle drivers. Yet HGVs only make up about 1 vehicle
in 8 in the motorway traffic. With tachographs, working hours
restrictions and better training why are HGV drivers nearly three
times more likely to fall asleep at the wheel?
We need to consider the following factors:
* Good vehicles travel at a lower speed, so the same mileage takes
longer. The exposure to the risk of falling asleep is increased by
about 20% to 30%.
* Heavy goods vehicle drivers choose to travel at quiet times -
perhaps the early hours of the morning - more than other drivers.
But these factors are nowhere near sufficient to explain the increased
risk of falling asleep that HGV drivers face, especially given their
higher levels of training and their working hours restrictions.
Safe Speed believes that the critical difference is the psychological
"fall out" of driving with the compulsory 56mph speed limiters fitted
to all heavy goods vehicles since 1996. The speed limiter has three
direct effects on driver attention levels:
1) Since most motorway conditions are suitable for a constant 56mph,
HGV drivers do not need to control their speed. They leave it to the
limiter. This reduces their work rate and reduces their interest in
the task of driving.
2) 56mph is quite a modest speed for UK motorways in typical
conditions, even for a heavy goods vehicle. We know that it is a
modest speed because needing to slow below 56mph for safety is
infrequent. Driving below an optimal speed requires rather less than
100% attention from the driver. Performance at the task suffers.
Basically drivers are bored. The most extreme form of this tendency to
low attention is actually falling asleep.
3) A constant speed provides a constant drone from engine,
transmission and tyres. The constant drone itself is soporific.
Despite 8 years of HGV speed limiters, no research has been carried
out into the road safety consequences yet plans to fit limiters to a
wider range of vehicles are progressing.
Conclusions:
Safe Speed demands far better thinking behind our road safety
policies. The constant neglect of side effects demonstrates a woeful
lack of understanding of "how road safety works" at the highest
political and academic levels.
<ends>
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Members
