More tired motorists choose to keep on driving

Two thirds of British drivers who took part in a survey by Motorpoint, the UK car supermarket group, confess to having been so tired behind the wheel that they could easily have fallen asleep.

And more than a quarter of those asked said they would not stop for a fatigue break, preferring to drive on and to try to stay awake.

This is a high risk approach according to both the Department of Transport and road safety charity Brake. Government figures estimate that six people are killed in accidents caused by tired drivers every week. Research by Brake confirms that one in ten drivers who drive for work actually fell asleep at the wheel during 2007.

Motorpoint managing director David Shelton commented: “All the indications are that this is an even more common issue than has been previously recognised. Drivers know when they are feeling sleepy, so making the decision to stay on the road is a real choice. There is a lot of very good advice out there on how to deal with tiredness at the wheel. The question is whether the people who drive on are underestimating the risks or simply ignoring them.

“Road safety is an important topic for us. That’s why we became the first car retailer in membership of RoadSafe. We sell thousands of cars every year to customers that we want to see again.”