Deadly hazard as drivers fall asleep at wheel

ONE IN eight UK drivers admits to falling asleep at the wheel, a new survey suggests.

The research was by the AA Charitable Trust to mark the launch of a campaign to alert motorists to the dangers of drowsy driving.

Government data shows 62 people died and 462 were seriously injured on Britain’s roads last year when fatigue was a contributory factor.

The true figure is believed to be much higher due to under-reporting.

A study published by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety in March 2016 estimated that up to a quarter of fatal accidents are caused by drivers who have fallen asleep at the wheel.

The AA Charitable Trust survey of 20,561 motorists found that men are three times more likely than women to admit to falling asleep while driving (17 per cent compared with five per cent).

Trust director Edmund King described drowsiness as “one of the most under-estimated risks on the roads”.