Used car buyers 'should prepare for less sleep'

Posted by Louise Clark

Motorists are being urged to ensure they adapt their routines to deal with having an extra hour of wakefulness in the morning on March 28th.

Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is warning drivers they could feel the effects of losing an hour of sleep, which could result in increased tiredness among used car drivers.

Findings by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have shown that up to a fifth of incidents that take place on monotonous roads are fatigue-related.

David Williams MBE, chief executive officer of GEM, suggested that motorists can keep their energy levels up by eating and drinking during regular breaks and having a short nap at a service station if necessary.

"Feeling fatigued can reduce reaction time, alertness and concentration and when driving at speed along a motorway no-one can afford to take any chances," he warned.

Road safety charity Brake highlights young male drivers as the most at risk of tiredness in the morning, while older male motorists see their risk increase in the mid-afternoon.