Driving tired almost the same as driving drunk

Hyderabad: Driving while tired is equivalent to drunk driving, according to a research by the Queensland University of Technology.

Tiredness is usually from sleep deprivation and tired drivers become drowsy and their levels of concentration are affected.

General physician Dr S. Shanker said, “It’s a fight between the body and the mind where there is a build up of fatigue due to physical action, travel, work and stress. Hence the body is all worked up and it sends signals to the mind that it can’t take the stress of driving any more. But many drivers do not pay heed to this. We have found this practice very rampant in the travel business where drivers are at the wheel for 20 to 25 hours at a stretch.

“They also drink too much tea which dehydrates them further whereby their concentration is affected.”

Concentration allows for proper judgement while driving and most drivers fail to realise that their judgment is impaired when they are too tired or sleepy.

The research showed that blood alcohol content of 0.05 per cent had the same effect as being aware for 17 hours; it was equivalent to 0.10 per cent if awake for 20 hours.

The research noted that the risk of tired driving and drunk driving were the same as the risk factors of crashes and accidents were extremely high.

Senior general physician Dr B. Raju said, “A tired or sleepy person suffers from attention problems, working memory and also coordination. In this condition, the job of driving is very critical as it affects not only the safety of the person but also others who are on the road.”

In their various lectures about safety in software companies in the city, doctors advice not driving when a person is tired, sleepy and dehydrated, apart from drunk driving.

But with more new studies are emerging, experts feel that more stress needs to be placed on public transport drivers and also private cabs where the driving hours require to be monitored for the safety of not only the driver but also other road users.