Tired drivers can be as dangerous as drunk drivers
What Car? has shown that driving while you're tired can be as dangerous as drink driving.
- 40% of drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel
- Sleep deprived driver performs worse in tests than driver 25% over legal drink limit
- Drink drivers still perform worse overall
What Car?'s exclusive tests, conducted in simulators at the Transport Research Laboratory, compared the ability of a tired driver with a drunk driver.
In a whatcar.com poll, 40% of readers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel, and 22% more than once. So it was alarming to see the sleep-deprived driver perform worse than our drunk driver after he had consumed six units and was 25% over the legal limit.
Even after being allowed to snatch four hours’ sleep, our tired driver was still dangerously impaired.
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