New study suggests fatigue responsible for 18% of accidents
TORONTO, Ont. — The Highway Safety Roundtable has released a new study that shows 18% of fatal accidents are related to driver fatigue.
The study suggests tired drivers are responsible for about 400 Canadian deaths each year.
“The message is very clear that a lot more Canadians are driving tired on our roads than anyone has ever thought before, or ever wanted to admit before, and it is a very serious road safety issue,” Mark Yakabuski, president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada told the Canadian Press. “We really have to be a lot more aware of the dangers of fatigue than we have been up until now.”
Most fatigue-related collisions occur between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and on Fridays, according to the report. However, the most fatal fatigue-related accidents occur between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Since police have no definitive way of determining if driver fatigue played a role in an accident, the group suggests that fatigue-related accidents are likely under-reported. Police have, in the past, suggested fatigue is a factor on just 2% of traffic accidents.
The report suggests expanding the use of rumble strips and providing more rest areas along Canadian highways.
– With files from the Canadian Press
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