{"id":17688,"date":"2017-06-01T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T09:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wimbledondrivingschool.com\/?p=17688"},"modified":"2021-03-24T15:48:35","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T14:48:35","slug":"dangers-sleeping-whilst-sleep-deprived","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wimbledondrivingschool.com\/dangers-sleeping-whilst-sleep-deprived\/","title":{"rendered":"Dangers Of Sleeping Whilst Sleep Deprived"},"content":{"rendered":"

When learner drivers<\/a> are asked what the biggest causes are of road fatalities, they will most likely answer with the best-known issues \u2013 distractions from mobile phones, drinking, speeding etc.<\/p>\n

One thing they almost certainly won\u2019t come back with is sleep deprivation, and yet it is one of the biggest killers out there.<\/p>\n

What are the stats?<\/h3>\n

We\u2019d all like to think that we\u2019ve paid attention in our driving lessons<\/a> and it\u2019s only the intentionally negligent that are at the root of our road\u2019s death tolls.<\/p>\n

But statistics show that around 20% of accidents on our major roads are caused by driver fatigue.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s an astonishing 500 deaths a year caused by people thinking that they\u2019re fit to drive when they simply aren\u2019t up to the task.<\/p>\n

The sad reality is that because the driver is fatigued, they often don\u2019t react until the accident has happened, meaning these accidents are more likely than others to result in a fatality.<\/p>\n

Who are the likely culprits?<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s no great surprise that more than 40% of accidents attributed to some form of sleep deprivation involve commercial vehicles. Given the great demand on deliveries in this \u2018want it now\u2019 world, this is perhaps to be expected.<\/p>\n

However, another sleep-deprived dynamic posing the greatest risk are believed to be men under 30.<\/p>\n

Perhaps it\u2019s bravado, the \u2018I know I can do this\u2019 machismo, but the reality is that this is the most likely gender\/age combination to fall asleep at the wheel.<\/p>\n

Given that learner drivers now have an average starting age of 26 years old, it is vitally important that learners heed driving<\/a> advice on how to avoid accidents caused by tiredness.<\/p>\n

What can I do to prevent such incidents?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are very clear guidelines that will help learner drivers<\/a> avoid getting into bother through sleep deprivation.<\/p>\n