Young Drivers Overloaded and Over the Limit
Speed and Fatigue a Fatal Combo Over the Holidays
22 DECEMBER 2010 – Overloaded cars, racing to get where you’re going and dozing at the wheel can turn holidays into horror in a split second.
Yet that’s exactly what many of Australia’s young drivers are doing on our roads, according to research from leading national car insurer AAMI.
“Our young drivers are putting their lives, the lives of their friends and family and of other road users needlessly at risk through a lethal cocktail of speed, overloaded vehicles and driver fatigue,” said AAMI spokesman Mike Sopinski.
“Drivers under 25 are least likely to stop and take a power nap (36% versus 60% of older drivers) and least likely to have stopped at a ‘Driver Reviver’ site when driving during holiday periods (32% versus 55%). And yet a fifth of them (20%) admit to momentarily falling asleep at the wheel. It’s important young drivers start getting into the habit of breaking up their journey into more manageable chunks.
“On its own, the fatigue factor is bad enough, but when you add in some of the other habits of young drivers, things really get frightening,” Mr Sopinski warned.
“Younger drivers are more than twice as likely as other drivers to overload the car (25%, compared with 10%) and twice as likely to speed (20%, versus 8%) to get to their holiday destination faster.
“Older drivers should also take stock of their driving habits on long journeys,” Mr Sopinski added. “A quarter of drivers over 25 also admit to momentarily dozing off behind the wheel, yet half of older drivers are willing to drive for three hours or more without a break, and 21% are willing to drive four hours or more without resting.
“Talking a break or sharing the driving duties can mean the difference between getting home safely and not making it home at all
“The Christmas holidays can be a fantastic time; summer is here and we get to visit family, friends and explore our beautiful country,” Mr Sopinski concluded. “So let’s just take it easy on the roads – drive sensibly, drive safely and we all get to start the new year happy and in one piece.”
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Mike Sopinski, AAMI Media Manager, 07 3135 3997 or 0421 052 598
