Take that nap! - Too tired to drive

YESTERDAY’S court of appeal ruling showed we place particular emphasis on trying to eradicate drink driving as a way of making our roads safer for everyone. 

There has, over the last decade or so, been a profound cultural shift on the issue. It is no longer socially acceptable to drink and drive, especially among young people living in urban areas.

There are — as yesterday’s jailing for two years of a man who killed a young mother and seriously injured her 15-week-old child when he hit them with his car while in “a micro-sleep” showed — other issues involved in making our roads safer for everyone.

Tiredness, especially while driving alone, is recognised now as almost as great a threat to good, safe driving as alcohol. Anyone who has experienced the frightening sensation of nodding off at the wheel will not need to be convinced to plan their next journey in a way that leaves time for a restorative nap if one is needed. A short snooze break, even for 15 minutes, could make all the difference between arriving safely and not arriving at all. Take that nap!