Driver fatigue

Feeling sleepy?

There will usually be warning signs that you are becoming tired - don't ignore them.

Do not underestimate or ignore the risk of actually falling asleep. Many drivers try to stay awake by turning up the air conditioning, winding down windows, listening to the radio, talking or singing. This will only work for a few minutes in order to give you time to find somewhere to stop.

If you begin to feel sleepy:

• do not try to complete the journey (you might never arrive)
• find somewhere safe to stop (not the hard shoulder)
• drink one or two cups of strong coffee or other high caffeine drinks
• nap for about 15 minutes or rest to allow the caffeine to kick in

The only cure is sleep

A caffeine drink and short nap will only keep you going for a short time. If necessary, find somewhere safe to stay overnight.

More information is available from RoSPA which provided the information for this page.