1 in 4 Oz drivers risks death by falling asleep while driving

MELBOURNE - An Internet survey has found that one in every four drivers in Australia risks death by falling asleep at the wheel.

The survey of 2818 Australians also found that one in 10 who have been involved in a motor vehicle accident listed fatigue as a contributing factor.

AAMI spokesman Mike Sopinski said this was an alarming statistic, which highlighted the importance of taking regular rest breaks when driving long distances.

“People driving when tired or driving over long distances without sufficient breaks are putting themselves and other road users at risk,” the Courier Mail quoted him as saying.

“Yet more than half of all Queensland drivers (56 percent) say they are willing to drive for three or more hours without stopping for a break and one in every 10 drivers (10 percent) admits they are willing to take the risk of driving for more than four hours straight,” he revealed.

But the research also shows more than half of Queensland drivers (54 percent) have stopped at a Driver Reviver site or rest area when on the road during holiday periods.

Sopinski said drivers travelling on this Queen’s Birthday long weekend should rest before heading off, share the driving, take regular rest stops, allow extra travel time and avoid starting a long trip at the end of the day. (ANI)