'Dangerously tired' motorists admit they've fallen asleep at the wheel, risking lives

Motorists have confessed to driving while 'dangerously tired' - and some have even fallen asleep at the wheel. A survey of 2,000 drivers revealed a staggering 86% have operated a vehicle while fatigued.

Nearly one in 10 have had a near-miss due to driving when exhausted. Furthermore, 41% admit they've continued on their journey despite feeling drowsy.

The study was commissioned by insurance company Allianz, which also carried out a scientific investigation that found drivers are twice as likely to drive unsafely when tired.

Tired drivers made double the number of errors on everyday driving skills than those who were well-rested, with reaction times, precision, control and overall awareness all deteriorating.

Two groups of drivers were tested on a variety of driving skills, including emergency braking, parallel parking and a real-world road course.

Caroline Johnson from Allianz said: "We want our roads to be as safe as possible for all motorists and our claims data and test results clearly demonstrate that driving tired puts your family, friends and road users at significant risk."

"With many students and their parents likely to be getting in the car and heading off to universities up and down the country, we want to highlight the risks and hope our experiment shows just how dangerous it can be."

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She added: "We want our roads to be as safe as possible for all motorists and our claims data and test results clearly demonstrate that driving tired puts your family, friends and road users at significant risk."

"If you're planning an early morning or late drive, try to get some extra rest, as this can make a big difference and the risks are simply too great. Road safety begins with responsible driving, and that means knowing when to rest and prioritise adequate sleep."

The most common method to stay awake while driving is opening the window (60%), turning up the volume of their music (30%), drinking a strong coffee (26%) or singing along to an album or song they know (23%).

Despite many admitting they do it themselves, 50% agreed people driving tired should be treated just as seriously as those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

A further 79% believe it is more dangerous than speeding, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

Multi award-winning driving safety expert for some of the UK's leading car brands, Paul Ripley, added: "Driving when you're tired isn't just about feeling a little sluggish"

"It seriously affects your ability to react, make decisions, and control your vehicle safely. Our experiment shows a lack of sleep can make you a danger on the road."

Top 10 ways Brits stay awake while driving:

Open the window to let some cold air in

Crank up the volume of the music

Drank a strong coffee

Put on an album or song they knew they'd want to sing along to

Turned the air conditioning to its coldest

Drank an energy drink

Asked other passengers to keep conversation going

Talked to themselves

Opened a snack

Slapped themselves on the face