The title of this post might raise a few eyebrows – and so it should! A very important threat to road safety is driver fatigue. This threat to both driver fitness and road safety is usually referred to in a number of descriptive words, including driver fatigue, driver tiredness, drowsiness etc.
Driver Fatigue a contributing factor to road accidents
It cannot be disputed that driver fatigue is the cause of many accidents – especially in South Africa with long stretches of road. This was also the topic of discussion in a section of content recently added to the Arrive Alive website titled “Energy Drinks, Driver Alertness/ Tiredness and Safe Driving”.
We would like to quote briefly from this section and the research findings providing greater insight to the magnitude of this road safety threat:
* Driver tiredness and fatigue related accidents are not restricted to South Africa.
* Road safety authorities in the USA, UK, Australia and many other countries report similar concerns over motorists who drive while tired.
* Tiredness causes more than 20 percent of UK motorway accidents and at least 10 percent of all road accidents.
* It has been alleged that in the UK, driver fatigue leads to more deaths on motorways than alcohol does.
* The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that driver fatigue was the primary cause of 100 000 accidents reported to the police each year.
* Sleep-related accidents are three times more likely to result in death or serious injury.
* A “long blink” or micro-sleep can last as long as 30 seconds.
* Tired drivers most often over-estimate their alertness.
What is the relationship between driver fatigue and car insurance?
It is important that we understand why there is such a link. Car Insurance premiums are calculated by considering the risk profile of drivers. Drivers are not all equal when it comes to considering their risk profile. They differ in many important characteristics including age, gender, driving experience, accident record, area where they drive, the car that they drive etc etc..
A very important consideration is also the distance that they travel. Insurance policies such as Pay As You Drive recognizes that drivers who travel less pose less of an accident risk and as a result qualify for reduced car insurance premiums.
Drivers who travel shorter distances are also less exposed to the risks of driver fatigue – both from their own tiredness and those of professional drivers who drive daily on our long stretches of road.
To summarize:
Reduced driving/ driving shorter distances =Less exposure to the risks of driver fatigue = reduced accident risks= SHOULD qualify for reduced premiums through PAYD
If you are not travelling long distances – request a Pay As You Drive Car Insurance quote to find if you are paying a car insurance premium that reflects the way that you drive!!
