FED: NRMA urges Easter holiday drivers to get extra sleep

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2001
FED: NRMA urges Easter holiday drivers to get extra sleep

The NRMA says staying awake for long periods can have the same effect on a person's
driving as alcohol.

The NRMA warning comes the same day as a French study found drivers who fall asleep
at the wheel are to blame for one major road accident in 10, a rate that runs second only
to drink-driving.

To help prevent driver fatigue affecting next week's Easter holiday weekend, NRMA Member
Services chief executive ROB CARTER has urged drivers to get some extra sleep this weekend.

A 1997 study by Adelaide's Centre for Sleep Research found that being awake for 17
hours has the same effect on a person's driving ability as being at the 0.05 legal drink
driving limit.

He says fatigue can be caused by not getting enough hours of sleep each night over
a period of time, building up a sleep debt.





The French researchers write in the British Medical Journal that fatigue -- especially
when combined with alcohol -- presents a particularly high risk of road crashes resulting
in death or serious injury.

They say French police may have blamed alcohol in accidents where fatigue was a factor,
if the breath test proved positive.

AAP RTV rk/mk/pc/wz

KEYWORD: SLEEP (SYDNEY)

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