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STOP REVIVE
SURVIVE
At Least Every 2 Hours Take a Rest Break
Australia is a vast and at times lonely place. Whilst it is a great place to see,
if you don’t go prepared you risk never getting to your destination.
Driver fatigue
In 2002 112 people died in fatigue related crashes in NSW. This was 20 per cent of the total road toll for the year. Although the majority of fatigued drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2002 were males, fatigue can affect any driver. The risk of a fatal fatigue crash is highest between 10pm and 6am when your body’s circadian rhythms are programming you to sleep - four times greater than for the rest of the day.
Driving while sleep deprived, especially late at night and at dawn increases the risk of having a microsleep and losing control of your vehicle. Early signs of fatigue include: yawning, tired or sore eyes, slow reactions, making fewer and larger steering corrections, missing road signs, having difficulty in staying in the lane and microsleeps.
Measures to fight driver fatigue include stopping at sign posted rest areas,Stopping at ‘Driver Reviver’ stops and stopping ar ‘fatigue warning’ signs. (not all states have driver reviver campaigns). Contact the relevant road and traffic authority in the state you are travelling to for more information (links below).
Safe driving requires clear judgement, concentration, and being able to react to what happens on the road. Alcohol and other drugs affect all of these. Alcohol is a drug that affects your skills, moods and behaviour. Once it has been consumed the effects of alcohol on driving cannot be reversed. The only thing that will sober you up is time.
Other drugs also impair your driving. Mixing one drug with another or mixing alcohol with other drugs dramatically increases your risk or crashing. Any amount of alcohol increases risk. As a driver's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rises, so does the risk of being involved in a crash.
0.05 = double the risk
0.08 = 7 times the risk
0.15 = 25 times the risk
Novice drivers with any level of alcohol in their blood are at a much higher risk of crashing.
This is why novice drivers are restricted to a zero alcohol limit. In some states
How to avoid drink and drug driving
* Plan ahead and arrange alternative transport.
* Share a taxi with friends.
* Catch public transport.
* Stay overnight at a friend's place.
* Ride with a driver who hasn't been drinking or taking drugs.
* Arrange for a friend or relative to give you a lift.
Drinking or taking drugs before driving is just plain dumb
