Thinking about hitting the road? Test how tired you might be before you get behind the wheel, get some tips to help avoid driving tired, and share your results with your friends at testyourtiredself.com.au
You can also watch the Don’ trust your tired self TV campaign on the Transport for NSW YouTube channel.
Remember, fatigue-related crashes can happen on any trip no matter how long or short or what time of day. It’s important to think about how tired you are before driving, recognise the early warning signs when driving and know what to do to avoid driving tired.
Did you know?
- Fatigue is one of the big three killers on NSW roads
- Fatigue-related crashes are twice as likely to be fatal – drivers who are asleep can’t brake
- In 2012 more people in NSW died in fatigue-related crashes than drink driving crashes
- Being awake for about 17 hours has a similar effect on performance as a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05
Fatigue can be fatal
Driver fatigue is one of the top three contributors to the road toll. Research has shown that fatigue can be as dangerous as other road safety issues, such as drink driving. But unlike drink driving, there are no laws regulating driver fatigue. Public education campaigns are currently the only way to address driver fatigue for car drivers and motorcyclists.
Our tips to avoid driving tired help you plan ahead to ensure you’re not tired before you hit the road. Stop Revive Survive shows you how to detect the early warning signs of fatigue when you are driving and how to find rest areas in NSW. Driver Reviver sites operate throughout Australia during school/university holidays with places to take a break. Interactive rest area maps allow you to easily plan your rest stops, while a Trip Time Calculator provides a quick guide to journey lengths, but remember to add extra time for breaks along the way.
To better understand how fatigue can affect you, the Science of sleep explains how the human body is subject to circadian rhythms and sleep debt.
REMEMBER: Sleep is the only cure for tiredness.
