Study shows tired driving is a growing concern

Published date: 23 Aug 2024

A new survey from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has found one-in-five Victorians have driven while being so tired they have struggled to keep their eyes open.

The TAC has released its annual Road Safety Monitor report, which found around two-thirds of the more than 2,300 survey respondents had driven while feeling ‘quite tired’ or ‘very tired’, with 21 per cent admitting to driving when they could not keep their eyes open.

The survey, which asks participants about their road safety behaviours and attitudes, highlighted men aged 18 to 59 in outer urban and regional areas were most at risk, with 37 per cent of this cohort stating they have driven while very tired.

Drowsy driving is a factor in 16 to 20 per cent of fatal crashes each year on Victorian roads and contributes to approximately 25 per cent of road trauma injuries at The Alfred and Royal Melbourne hospitals.

In May, the TAC launched a campaign addressing the severe risks of drowsy driving, backed by research that found drivers who get less than five hours of sleep are four times more likely to crash.

The campaign urges drivers to watch for warning signs of drowsy driving, such as difficulty staying centred in the lane, struggling to keep eyes open, blurred vision, zoning out, or a loss of concentration. Drivers experiencing these symptoms should pull over to rest and, if possible, switch drivers.

The survey comes as the number of lives lost on Victorian roads has overtaken last year’s figures, with 185 road deaths so far in 2024 compared to 178 at the same time in 2023.

See insights from the full TAC Road Safety Monitor report.

For more information on the TAC’s latest tired driving campaign and tips on to how to be safe, visit: tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/staying-safe/tired-driving

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Quotes attributable to Transport Accident Commission CEO, Tracey Slatter

“Tired driving is a factor in around 30 Victorian road deaths each year, so we need to be able to identify when we aren’t safe to drive and find alternatives to getting behind the wheel.”

“Our message is that drowsy driving is a danger to everyone who shares the road, not just you, so please rest up and get more than five hours’ sleep before driving.”

Other key 2023 Road Safety Monitor findings:

Approximately 98% of respondents said they always wore a seatbelt when driving, while around 96% said they always wore a seatbelt as a passenger.
3% reported drink-driving when above the legal limit – steady on last year and a continued reduction from 6% in 2016
25% of respondents said they had deliberately exceeded the speed limit by 10km/h or more, while 64% had done so by 3 km/h or more
Less than 1% of respondents said that had driven after using illegal drugs