How often do you drive while tired?
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It’s something we all know in theory – never drive if you’re feeling sleepy – but in reality, a worrying number of the UK’s drivers try to push through their drowsiness. In fact, tiredness has been found to be more dangerous than driving under the influence*.
We surveyed UK drivers to ask them how often they feel tired while driving and what might cause the tiredness in the first place. We’ve extrapolated our survey data to give estimates for the entire population of UK drivers (there are 50,000,000 drivers in the UK1).
Drivers cited several causes of their exhaustion, though 18% did say that they have never driven tired.
The most common reason for driving tired was a long day at work and over half of 18–24-year-olds we surveyed said they had driven tired in this situation. The pressure to get home on time, matched with rush hour traffic and the cumulative effect of a week of commutes, can all contribute to feeling sleepy at the wheel after the 9-5.
However, even drivers who got behind the wheel while feeling alert admitted that the drive itself chipped away at their concentration. 20% of drivers said a monotonous journey, like a long motorway drive, left them feeling tired.
Similarly, the third most common reason also highlights how draining driving can be, as 19% of drivers say they tried to cover too much distance and grew tired from driving too long. A lack of frequent breaks, or the added pressure to arrive at a holiday destination may have led to drivers over-exerting themselves and those in the 65+ age group were most likely to admit to this driving error.
According to National Highways2, fatigue is a factor in 13% of serious road incidents that occur during night drives, almost as high as those caused by drink or drugs. On top of this, seasons also have an effect, with summer road deaths related to fatigue rising by a staggering 59% compared to incidents between December to February. This could be caused by a false sense of security given by brighter evenings, or simply the added pressure of arriving at summer holiday and festival destinations by attempting to push through tiredness.
For the respondents to our survey, the time of the drive also contributed to tired drivers. Unsurprisingly, those who had to drive either late at night (17%) or very early in the morning (9%) were less alert than at other times of day. A lack of sleep the night before starting any sort of drive was also cited as a common reason (17%).
| Reasons for driving tired | % of drivers who admit to driving tired for this reason | Number of UK drivers who admit to driving tired for this reason |
|---|---|---|
| A long/hard day at work | 26% |
13,000,000 |
| Monotony of the journey | 20% | 10,000,000 |
| Trying to cover too much distance in one day | 19% | 9,500,000 |
| Late night driving | 17% |
8,500,000 |
| Lack of sleep the night before | 17% | 8,500,000 |
| Very early morning driving | 9% | 4,500,000 |
| Jet lag following a holiday or business trip | 7% | 3,500,000 |
| Driving after a concert or music event | 4% | 2,000,000 |
| Eaten a large meal | 2% | 1,000,000 |
| A medical condition | 2% | 1,000,000 |
| Exhaustion after a sporting event (marathon etc.) | 1% | 500,000 |
| Driving after a festival | 1% | 500,000 |
It may come as no surprise that drivers weren’t keen to admit that they drove tired all that often. Almost half of the people surveyed admitted to only driving tired a few times since initially passing their driving test. Some drivers, alarmingly, don’t believe being tired has any impact on their driving at all – 13% of drivers aged 18-24 gave this response and 18% of the same age group said they would carry on driving regardless of how tired they felt.
Others could cite only a single time they had ever been guilty of driving tired (12%). However, a staggering 500,000 people still admit to feeling tired while driving ‘once a week’ or ‘once every two weeks’ (both 1%, respectively).
| How frequently, if at all, do you drive while feeling tired? | % of drivers | Number of drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Rarely, only a few times since passing my test | 49% | 24,500,000 |
| Very rarely, only once since passing my test | 12% | 6,000,000 |
| About once a year | 8% | 4,000,000 |
| About twice a year | 8% | 4,000,000 |
| About once every 3 months | 5% | 2,500,000 |
| About once a month | 4% | 2,000,000 |
| A few times a week but not everyday | 2% | 1,000,000 |
| About once every 2 weeks | 1% | 500,000 |
| About once a week | 1% | 500,000 |
| Multiple times within a month | 1% | 500,000 |
Whether you’re headed out on a road trip or making the long drive to your staycation destination, here are some key tips to stay wide awake and safe on the road:
Even if you don’t feel tired, preventative breaks taken every two hours can help keep you alert. A good rule of thumb is ‘if you yawn, it’s too late’ so, don’t wait until you’re feeling it to stop and rest.
Make sure you’re parked in a safe place, like a service area, and take a short nap. These shouldn’t be any longer than 20 minutes to avoid entering (and then disrupting) deep sleep, which can leave you feeling even more groggy.
Always plan ahead for your journey. If you know traffic, dreary weather or a dark drive are in store, make sure to allow the extra time needed to make frequent stops. Pack a flask of coffee if you feel it might help or try to reschedule your drive to times when you’re more alert.
Like we mentioned above, lifestyle and on-the-day choices can impact your ability to drive with full concentration. Avoid eating a big meal before you get in the car and get a good night’s sleep before you do. Where possible, try not to drive during times when you’re usually asleep.
2% of drivers said their fatigue was due to a medical issue – if this is true for you, then you must inform the DVLA or you could face a fine if you’re found responsible for a road incident.
No matter how many precautions you take, it’s always best to have peace of mind on any journey. Breakdown cover from the AA makes sure that when the worst happens, Roadside Assistance means an expert mechanic can help get you back on track in no time
Sources:
*Tiredness was found to be more dangerous than driving under the influence (
1Number of people in the UK with a driving licence - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plan-for-drivers/the-plan-for-drivers#:~:text=There%20are%2050%20million%20people%20with%20a%20driving%20licence%20in%20Great%20Britain
2 National Highways data for serious road incidents and night and summer road deaths vs. winter road deaths caused by fatigue. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lklqk4p1vo