Safety behind the wheel: don’t let tiredness put a full stop to your festival fun!

The summer festival has drawn to a close and you and your friends have had a great time enjoying the live music and electric atmosphere. As the designated driver, you are responsible for ferrying your fellow festival-goers home…safely! But you’re feeling shattered, worn out from the festivities and not looking forward to the long drive ahead. What do you do?

Driving when tired is not a smart move. Not only are you gambling with your life, but also the lives of your passengers and potentially other road users.

You may feel you can risk it and get behind the wheel anyway. This is a bad idea, not only are you gambling with your life, but also the lives of your passengers and potentially other road users. Driving when tired reduces your reaction time, which is a key element of safe driving, and with your friends in the car with you, there is bound to be plenty of chatter which will only serve to distract you further.

Driver fatigue is no laughing matter; it is a serious problem which results in thousands of road accidents each year. Research shows that driver fatigue may be a contributory factor in up to 20 per cent of road accidents, and up to one quarter of fatal and serious accidents*. These types of crashes are about 50 per cent more likely to result in death or serious injury as they tend to be high speed impacts. A driver who has fallen asleep cannot brake or swerve to avoid or reduce the impact.

The first thing that may cross your mind to help you stay awake is to reach for an emergency cup of coffee. Drinking at least 150mg of caffeine and taking a nap of around 15 minutes are the only measures that help to reduce sleepiness. But even these are temporary measures; sleepiness will return if the driver does not stop driving within a fairly short period of time. By planning ahead, particularly when driving on motorways, you can work in a series of breaks to give you time to pull over in a safe place and have a rest. A minimum break is recommended of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving. Remember not to stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway. Alternatively, plan in advance an overnight stop, as this will then give you the welcome option of driving for a few hours, with a break, to a hotel, for example, before waking up fresh to complete the journey the following day.

You may decide that the chances of you falling asleep at the wheel are slim, but can you afford to take the risk? Driving whilst tired makes you less vigilant and alert. It also affects your concentration levels and the quality of your decision-making.

Crashes caused by tired drivers are most likely to happen:

• On long journeys on monotonous roads, such as motorways
• Between 2am and 6am
• Between 2pm and 4pm (especially after eating)
• After having less sleep than normal
• After drinking alcohol
• After taking medicines that cause drowsiness
• After long working hours or on journeys home after long shifts, especially night shifts.

Here are RoSPA’s top tips on how to avoid the risk of falling asleep at the wheel:

• Plan your journey. Write out a route that you can read easily and/or programme the SatNav to its destination prior to setting off
• Check your vehicle is in a safe condition before heading out on the road. Check the tyres, lights, windscreen wipers and all fluid levels
• Decide in advance where to stop for regular rest breaks
• Consider having an overnight break so that you don’t get too tired, but plan this in advance
• If possible, share the driving with a second driver
• Try not to drink the night before a long car journey. Alcohol stays in the body for several hours and will make you more sleepy
• If you are taking any medication, check whether it causes drowsiness. If it does, ask your doctor or pharmacist for an alternative that does not cause drowsiness.

Next time you are faced with the daunting task of driving home after a festival, take time out to make sure you are fully awake and prepared – try not to give into peer pressure if you are not feeling your best. One moment’s lapse in concentration while out on the roads could be your last, but by making changes to your driving behaviour the risk of an accident can be reduced.

For more information on road safety, visit www.rospa.com/roadsafety/.

For other festival-related safety advice, visit http://safetygonesane.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/be-carbon-monoxide-aware-when-letting-your-hair-down-at-summer-festivals/.

*Figures quoted by the Sleep Research Laboratory at Loughborough University (“Sleep Related Vehicle Accidents”, Jim Horne and Louise Reyner, 2000) and the Department for Transport’s Road Safety Research Report No. 52, October 2004 (“Sleep-Related Crashes on Sections of Different Road Types in the UK, 1995-2001).

Kevin Clinton, RoSPA’s head of road safety

Check your vehicle out! A new RoSPA video

After the unseasonable mini-heatwave of last week, autumn is back. The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is upon us, bringing with it the promise of winter – and so perhaps now is a good time to remind ourselves of some basic vehicle checks that can save time, money and possibly pain.

We all know that there are regular checks we should make to our cars; but how many of us know exactly what they are and how to do them? Not to mention whether they are done regularly at all.

But a few minutes spent making a few simple checks can identify potential problems before they cost motorists money. Plus, there’s the peace of mind that your vehicle is reliable and safe.

Kevin Clinton, RoSPA’s head of road safety, has made a short film outlining the vehicle checks we should all be making on a regular basis – as well as reminding us how often they should be carried out.

Safety at level crossings – stating the obvious?

You’d think so, but at RoSPA we often hear of people being seriously injured or killed on railway crossings, while in their vehicles or as pedestrians. These are preventable accidents, and while rail operators have a responsibility to ensure that crossings are safe and in good working order, those who use them also need to ensure that they do not misuse level crossings – after all, no matter whose fault an accident is, the motorist or pedestrian is always going to come off worse.

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has recently produced a guide to using level crossings safely aimed at pedestrians and motorists. We at RoSPA were asked to provide comments on the guide during the consultation period in 2010, and we have been involved in a review of Level Crossing law that is currently being conducted by the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission.

The new guide is aimed at anyone who uses level crossings, including: pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, horse-riders and people who work in rural areas. It covers specific rules governing use of level crossings, as set out in the Highway Code, and gives general easy-to-understand advice for those who may have to use them.

A summary of the advice is below; the full Using Level Crossings Safely Guide is available on the ORR’s website.

Using crossings safely

It’s important to remember that trains have much longer stopping distances than road vehicles – often longer than the train driver’s view of the line ahead. The general advice is that if you see or hear a train, don’t cross, and remember that trains can come from either direction.

Safety at level crossings largely depends on people recognising the dangers and obeying instructions: if you do not follow the instructions given, you are putting yourself, other users, railway staff and passengers at great risk. You could also be prosecuted.

Drivers and motorcyclists

Not using level crossings correctly – for example, ignoring traffic light signals or trying to beat the barriers – is very dangerous.

• Take extra care when approaching and using level crossings
• Never pass over the STOP line and drive onto a crossing until the road is clear on the other side
• Never stop or park on a crossing

If your vehicle breaks down or you cannot keep going or get off a crossing:

• Get everyone out of the vehicle and off the crossing immediately
• Use the phone at the crossing (if any) to tell the signaller and then follow the instructions you are given
• Only move the vehicle off the crossing if there is time to do so before a train arrives. If the alarm sounds, or the amber light comes on, leave the vehicle and get off the crossing immediately.

You must follow the rules below:

• Obey road traffic light signals and road signs
• Avoid overhead electric lines by obeying any height-restriction warnings. Do not move forward onto the railway if your vehicle touches any height barrier
• Obey any sign that says you must use a phone at the crossing to get permission to cross. Phone back when you are clear of the crossing if you have been asked to do so.

And – particularly importantly – if you are using a sat nav, do not just blindly follow its instructions! Take note of your surroundings; if it looks like you may end up on a railway line, think carefully about what you do next. Take a look at this story from 2007…

Other users (for example pedestrians, cyclists, horse-riders and people who work in rural areas)

Take special care when crossing railway lines at level crossings, especially crossings along footpaths, bridleways and other rights of way where there are no barriers or railway staff. In particular, pay attention to the following points:

• You must obey instruction signs, warning lights and alarms
• Before you reach the crossing remove hoods, earphones, headphones or any device that could stop you from hearing a train approaching. Remember that modern trains are quiet and weather conditions such as high winds and fog can reduce your ability to hear or see a train approaching
• Keep children close to you. Do not let them run or wander off – and similarly, keep dogs on a lead. Do not follow an animal that strays on to the line without first checking it is safe by contacting the crossing operator or signaller where possible
• If there are no barriers or lights, stop, look and listen, then look again before you cross
• If it is safe to cross, cross quickly, taking care not to slip or trip on the track. Stay alert while you are crossing the track, and do not stop on the crossing
• Take particular care if the surface of the crossing is not smooth, and make sure that wheels of bicycles, pushchairs and wheelchairs do not get trapped in the space between the crossing surface and the inside of the rail
• When in a group, don’t just follow the person in front. Everyone should take responsibility for their own safety and stop, look and listen for themselves before deciding it is safe to cross
• If you are crossing in a group, or you are riding a horse, use the phone if there is one
• If you are crossing in a group of cyclists, there is no phone and you need to open and close gates yourself, you should dismount
• You must obey any sign that says you must use a phone at the crossing to get permission to cross. Phone back when you are clear of the crossing if you have been asked to do so.

Much of this advice and information may seem obvious – but there are still far too many deaths occurring at level crossings, so it is clear that the message has not reached everyone.

The new guide can be viewed and downloaded online on the ORR’s website; RoSPA’s response during the consultation is available for viewing on the RoSPA website.

Kevin Clinton

Head of road safety at RoSPA

A crushing punishment for recidivist drink-drivers

The Government’s response to the North Report on Drink and Drug Driving was published this week, and sets out a raft of new measures to tackle the problem.

In 2009, 380 people were killed and a further 11,610 were injured in drink-drive accidents on our roads.

There were 53 fatalities and 1,007 other casualties in reported road accidents in which impairment due to illicit or medicinal drugs was recorded among the contributory factors – although the true casualty figures are likely to be higher.

More worrying, though, was the number of motorists who received at least their second ban for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2009: a shocking 19,605 motorists. The problem of recidivism seems to be worsening – 13,299 motorists were banned in 2000 for a second (or third or fourth) time.

Nearly one in four motorists banned for drink or drug driving will have at least one previous conviction for the same offence. It appears that the message is not getting through to a hardcore section of society who shows flagrant disregard for the safety and wellbeing of other road users.

As part of the new measures, the Department for Transport hinted that it may follow the example of Scotland when it comes to tackling the problem of drink and drug driving. Serial offenders could have their cars seized and crushed.

The reasoning behind this is twofold: firstly, it removes the temptation and opportunity for banned drivers to blithely carry on; secondly, it impacts on other family members, putting more pressure on offenders to change their behaviour.

Other new measures to be introduced to tackle drink driving include: streamlining procedures and closing loopholes to make it easier to conduct breath tests at the roadside and in police stations; improving testing equipment; and more robust drink-drive rehabilitation schemes.

This means that people who are a little over the limit will no longer be able to ask for a blood test, thus giving them time to sober up enough to pass it. It is hoped that improved testing equipment will remove any doubt with borderline cases.

As the figures on reoffending show, the current punishments do not seem to be working, so we at RoSPA welcome more robust rehabilitation schemes. In this, as everything, education seems to be key.

On the subject of drug driving, the Government will examine the case for a new specific drug-driving offence – alongside the existing one – which would remove the need for the police to prove impairment on a case-by-case basis where a specified drug has been detected. In addition, preliminary drug-testing equipment will be approved, and procedures will be streamlined.

Drug driving is very much a “hidden” problem. With legitimate medicines, side-effects are often ill-understood and not explained clearly enough; whereas with driving under the influence of illegal drugs, the fact of their illegality means that access to facts and figures is limited. We hope that these new measures will begin to shed some light on the problem, and enable road safety professionals and lawmakers to begin to solve it.

RoSPA welcomes all the new measures set out in the Government’s response to the North Report – but they don’t go far enough.

For many years now, we have called for the drink-drive limit to be reduced from the current 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. This move was also recommended by Sir Peter North when he wrote his report following an independent review of the law.

Any alcohol impairs drivers to a greater or lesser extent, and lowering the limit would reinforce that message. The vast majority of people are well aware that driving under the influence of alcohol is anti-social and dangerous; we need to get that message through to the minority who continue to flout the law. We also need to reinforce the message that any alcohol is risky to each new generation of drivers who may think that “just the one” is perfectly safe.

RoSPA urges the Government to reconsider lowering the drink-drive limit – and not to forget that the messages need to continue for future generations.

Kevin Clinton

RoSPA’s head of road safety

Is equality always fair?

No doubt you’ve seen the news that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that insurance companies cannot charge different premiums to men and women because of their gender.

The ECJ said: “Taking the gender of the insured individual into account as a risk factor in insurance contracts constitutes discrimination.”

The decision means that women can no longer be charged lower car insurance premiums than men. The requirement for unisex insurance premiums and benefits will start on 21 December 2012, giving national governments and the European insurance industry time to adjust, although customers could see premiums alter in the interim.

Belgian consumer group Test-Achats argued that a current exemption for insurers contradicted the wider European principle of gender equality, which led the issue to the ECJ.

Young male drivers are statistically more likely to crash than any other group, and are more likely to have more serious accidents – and this ruling naturally begs the question: what next? After all, age discrimination is forbidden in other areas of life – but older (usually more experienced) drivers are far less likely to have an accident or make a claim.

As far as young drivers are concerned, there is a massive gender difference in risk on the road and the likelihood of making an insurance claim. It’s not yet clear what the effects of this ruling will be on road safety – but there could be a variety of consequences.

If premiums for young female drivers rise, but stay the same for young male drivers, it’s difficult to see any road safety benefit – and it seems to be extremely unfair that extra costs should be borne by groups of people who present a lower risk.

However, on a positive note, if insurance premiums for young male drivers fall, this might encourage those who currently drive uninsured (because they find the cost of insurance prohibitive) to take out insurance, which would be a good thing. On the flip side, some young female drivers might be discouraged from insuring their vehicles if the cost of their premiums rises significantly.

It has also been suggested that some young male drivers might purchase high performance cars because the insurance would be cheaper, but it all depends on how much their premiums fall by and how much a high performance car costs. High performance cars are expensive in themselves, and many young male drivers would still not be able to afford to drive them, even with lower insurance premiums.

The real story of this European Court of Justice ruling is how unfair it could be for young female drivers if their insurance premiums rise despite their crash risk being so low compared to young male drivers.

Kevin Clinton

Road Safety Manager