More than half of drivers on long distance journeys fail to take a rest every two hours and risk falling asleep at the wheel a road safety charity has warned. The safety group Brake has issued advice to motorists on how to stay alert ahead of the August exodus to far flung destinations across the UK and Europe.

It says that 50% of male drivers and 31% of female motorists have driven for four hours or more without stopping and a third have admitted to pushing on if they felt tired. One in 10 of 1000 motorists surveyed said they will not stop on a long journey unless they absolutely have to.

“A large proportion of the driving public are scarily confident they can push on through on long drives without stopping,” said Brake’s deputy chief executive Julie Townsend. “In reality regular breaks – at least every two hours – are essential for staying alert and awake, as is getting plenty of sleep the night before.”

In the UK driver tiredness is estimated to cause one in five deaths on trunk roads, the charity claims. It adds that in 2011 in Great Britain it was reported that 84 people were killed and 420 suffered serious injuries in tiredness related crashes.

The charity says motorists should get plenty of sleep before a long journey and take rest breaks at least every two hours for a minimum of 15 minutes at a time. The charity conducted the survey alongside insurer Direct Line.

(Photo: Valua Vitaly)

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