Falling asleep at the wheel and young driver car insurance

If you have just bought young driver car insurance and are excited about getting behind the wheel on your own for the first time, you might find it near impossible to believe that a motorist could fall asleep at the wheel.

However, according to the Department for Transport (DfT), about 300 road users are killed every year in Britain because a driver has fallen asleep while in control of a vehicle.

Victims of these collisions are drivers, passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists and even pedestrians.

People who have been driving for a long distance without a break are more at risk of falling asleep. Statistics from the DfT show that four in ten crashes related to driver tiredness involve commercial vehicle drivers, who often travel long distances.

The DfT states that sleep-related road traffic collisions are often worse than others because the motorist does not slow down or try to avoid the obstacles ahead since they are unaware of the ensuing danger.

Road accident statistics show that sleep is implicated in a similar amount of road deaths as alcohol on UK highways. Although there is no accurate measuring system for tiredness available to police, it has been said by road safety experts that some tired motorists have the same level of impairment as a drunk driver.

New driver car insurance holders should be especially aware of the dangers of driving while tired and although well-meaning friends may offer some suggestions of how to combat fatigue at the wheel, the simplest rule to follow is not to drive if you are sleep deprived or tired.

Wherever possible, plan ahead before a long journey and get enough rest prior to setting off.

Young driver car insurance for the fresh-faced
While insurethebox can help you get a car insurance quote which could save you money, we can't help you get enough sleep. However, our comprehensive policies should put your mind at rest that you have top quality cover in place before you set off on your car journey.

And, with the aid of the telematics data we receive, insurethebox takes into account when our insurance customers are taking regular breaks during a long journey as we see this as display of safe driving behaviour which can help earn them Bonus Miles.

To talk to us about young driver car insurance and the benefits of an insurethebox policy, please call 0333 123 1308, or click the get a quote button to see how much you could be saving.