With millions of drivers expected to take to the roads this bank holiday weekend, the AA is highlighting the dangers of holiday drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Its survey of drivers has revealed that more than 12 million trips are planned on May Day alone, meaning many roads, particularly those heading to the coast, are set to see a rise in traffic.
But one in 33 of casualties on roads heading into the West Country, the UK’s top holiday destination, are fatigue-related, according to 2021 Department for Transport figures.
Statistics also show drivers are three times more likely to drift off and cause crashes on motorways than on other roads.
The AA is urging drivers to make sure they’re fully prepared for their trip, both physically and practically. This includes building regular rest stops into journeys to avoid fatigue and carrying out usual vehicle checks such as oil and coolant levels and tyre checks.
Latest statistics (2021) show that more than a fifth (22%) of car occupant casualties in crashes where fatigue was a factor were killed or seriously injured. Nearly one in 50 died.
Edmund King, AA Charitable Trust director, said: “One-quarter of fatal crashes are sleep-related, so drowsiness is one of the most under-estimated risks on the roads. Tiredness is a fact of life at some point for most of us and it is crucial we know how to manage it in relation to driving.
“Crashes involving a drowsy driver tend to be catastrophic. If a driver has fallen asleep at the wheel they do not brake before an impact and make no attempt to steer away from a collision.
“Winding down the window, singing and turning up the radio are not remedies to tiredness – rather a symptom in themselves.
“If you feel tiredness creeping up on you when driving, then stop and take a break.”
Research by the AA back in 2018 found one in eight (13%) UK motorists admitted to falling asleep at the wheel. Men were three times more likely to fall asleep at the wheel than women, while nearly two-fifths of drivers said they’d been so tired when driving that dropping off had been a real cause for concern. The campaign was supported by a video on the dangers of driving while tired.
The AA has also published its predicted traffic hotspots for the bank holiday:
- Edinburgh A720
- M4/M5 interchange in Bristol
- M25 Western and Southern Western sections
- M56 Junctions 14-15 westbound
- M6/M5 interchange in Birmingham
- M62 Leeds
- M4 near Newport
- Dartford Crossing A282
- A303 at Stonehenge
- M3 Winchester to Southampton
This is in addition to the ports at Dover and Portsmouth.
