Direct Line Car Insurance - Warning for Sleepy Motorists

17/08/2010

Direct Line car insurance, a provider of policies for young and older drivers has warned motorists about the potentially fatal dangers of driving when feeling tired.

Drivers who take to the wheel for long or short journeys are at risk of causing a deadly accident according to Andy Goldby, director of motor pricing and underwriting at Direct Line.

Mr Goldby said that this is largely due to the fact that drivers have significantly slower reaction times and reduced awareness of the road around them when fatigued.

Mr Goldby urged road users to take breaks if they begin to feel sleepy, as arriving late at a destination is better than not arriving at all.

He said: "It’s not worth the risk to themselves, their passengers or other road users."

This latest warning was borne out of recent research conducted by Direct Line and Brake, which found that almost three quarters of drivers surveyed admitted to driving whilst feeling tired in the last 12 months.

These statistics are revealed just days after The Co-operative insurance revealed that more than half of drivers routinely engage in distracting habits such as smoking and eating at the wheel.