How tiredness can cause a car accident

Although precise figures vary from one report to another, it is clear that tiredness is one of the major factors that can cause a car accident. Three hundred people a year are killed in a car accident involving driver fatigue, and the Selby rail crash in 2001 is perhaps the first major example of a car accident involving a tired driver that will leap to a UK motorist's mind.

Key times for motoring to be affected by sleepiness are between midnight and 6am, and a 'slump' around 2pm. While it is always important to be aware of your own levels of fatigue, it is particularly so if you are driving around these times.

Drivers should also try to be aware of the tiredness levels of other motorists, as a car accident caused by tiredness need only have one sleepy driver involved. Warning signs that another driver is tiring to a dangerous level include weaving, drifting and sudden corrections of direction.

If you do find yourself becoming tired, the best advice is to find somewhere safe to stop, take a short nap, and then have a strong coffee (or other source of caffeine); even this may only be enough to get you through a further hour or two. Other methods of staying awake turning up the radio, winding down the windows, etc have very little effect, according to most studies, on the prevention of car accidents.

Avoiding tiredness before driving is, naturally, the ultimate aim; this tends to mean ensuring that you have had enough sleep the night before driving, that you stick to light meals just prior to driving, and that you avoid alcohol.

Driver fatigue, car accidents, and making a compensation claim
If you have been involved in a car accident with someone suffering from driver fatigue, you may well be eligible to make a no win, no fee compensation claim to cover damage to your vehicle, lost earnings and personal injury.

Exploring this possibility with YouClaim is entirely without risk; our personal injury solicitors do not charge any fees at any point in a car accident compensation claim, from initial advice to the settlement of the case. Furthermore, all compensation awarded is passed to you under our 100% compensation promise.

Do call our team of advisors on 0800 10 757 95 or chat online through our e-chat window if you would like to discuss your car accident. You can also arrange for one of our team to contact you by filling in our call-back form, giving a convenient time for us to call. We hope to help you soon.