Driving Home Safely For Christmas
It’s a particularly busy time of the year on Irish roads motorists driving home this Christmas should be weary of driving tired as many experience festive exhaustion during this time of year. It is essential to ensure they get enough sleep before heading on long journeys, as data reveals sleeping less than seven hours does increase the risks of crashing. Road accidents tend to see a spike in the run-up to Christmas, and while this can be due to increased traffic volume, driver fatigue also has a big part to play as it’s estimated that 10 to 20% of crashes happen because of tired driving.
Christmas is a busy time for all of us and the stress from frequent holiday gatherings, Christmas shopping and planning can cause a lot of people to feel exhausted and sleep deprived. It’s important for drivers to make sure they’re well rested before getting behind the wheel, and if you have had only five to six hours of sleep compared to the your usual recommended eight hours, plan your journey a little different.
By taking a break for at least 15 minutes on long journeys every two hours you can reduce the possibility of having a crash on monotonous roads such as motorways. Motorway driving and the many driver aids our cars are fitted with can lead to a lack of driver stimulation, potentially leading to micro-sleeping behind the wheel. Micro-sleeping happens when tired drivers nod off for up to 30 seconds and more people have reported having this experience.
Eating can also exacerbate fatigue and drowsiness, so it’s best to let the food settle for a few hours after eating a big Christmas meal at a festive gathering. While fatigued driving is a danger throughout the whole year, the risks are further increased during the Christmas season as many people struggle with festive burnout. The standard signs of fatigue such as excessive yawning and heavy eyelids should leave you under no illusions that you might be too tired to drive!
Where possible, end your night a little earlier or go to bed an hour or two earlier before a long car journey should make a big difference. Ultimately spending time with all your loved ones safely is the goal and from all of the team here in DoneDeal we want to wish you a Merry Christmas. For our complete driving home for Christmas guide please click here.
