South West road safety group issues Easter road safety plea

The Easter long weekend is a great time to unwind, but motorists are being warned to make sure they’ve had enough rest before they set off on a road trip. The Industry Road Safety Alliance South West has issued a plea to all road users to aim for zero road trauma this Easter. “If you’re planning on travelling this Easter, make sure you get plenty of rest before you set off,” an alliance spokesperson said. Drifting in and out of sleep, otherwise knows as a micro-sleep, is the main cause of fatigue-related crashes, WA Police estimate 20 fatal crashes each year are fatigue-related. Fatigue-related crashes are twice as likely to be fatal than any other crash, most common time for these to occur being between 1am-6am, when our body clock tells us we should be sleeping. Shift workers are especially affected, being six times more at risk of fatigue-related crashes than any other group. Being tired behind the wheel impairs concentration, co-ordination, and decision-making, as well as significantly slowing reaction times. Driving after being awake for 17-19 hours can impact driving abilities in the same way as a blood-alcohol reading of 0.05 per cent. This increases to the blood-alcohol equivalent of 0.1 per cent after 24 hours of being awake. “About 7-8 hours of continuous, quality sleep per 24-hour period is needed to avoid fatigue behind the wheel. Get less and you build up a sleep debt,” the spokesperson said. “Shift work, medication, and long-distance driving can also impact your fatigue levels behind the wheel.”