Experts are calling for new driving law changes to be introduced to crack down on motorists who are fatigued behind the wheel, which could act in a similar way to breathalysers for those drink driving.
Research from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) shows that more than 430 people were killed or seriously injured in accidents linked to tiredness in 2023.
Almost 1,300 collisions were a result of people being tired at the wheel, prompting experts to call for new rules to ensure all road users are safe.
RoSPA, alongside the Fatigue Group, have called on the Government to take action, including a standardised test for fatigue and public awareness campaigns targeting high-risk groups like shift workers.
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Experts are calling for new rules to be introduced to crack down on tired driving
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Recent data from the Medical Defence Union (MDU) found that 90 per cent of doctors feel sleep deprived at work, although fatigue impacts the entire workforce.
Caitlin Taylor, road safety manager at RoSPA, highlighted how drowsy driving is responsible for many serious and fatal collisions every year, resulting in calls to crack down on the "preventable" issue.
She said: "Fatigue impairs driving ability similar to drink or drug driving but gets much less attention. This must change. Fatigue slows reaction times, reduces awareness, and affects decision-making, putting everyone at risk.
"RoSPA calls on employers, policymakers, and the Government to act now by improving workplace fatigue management, investing in public awareness campaigns, and collecting better data on fatigue-related crashes."
Another proposal from RoSPA and the Fatigue Group includes the Government establishing a national registry of drowsy driving incidents to work alongside the public awareness campaign.
The Fatigue Group was set up by award-winning NHS anaesthetists after colleagues were killed when driving home from work exhausted.
As part of the guidance, drivers who are hungry, angry, late or tired (HALT) are being urged to take regular rest breaks at work to minimise road risks.
Drivers who frequently drive long distances or work in shift patterns will try to keep fatigue at bay with easy remedies like drinking coffee or taking short naps.
RoSPA said this may help in the short-term, but "should never be done more than once per journey".
It has also called on employers to ensure all staff are well rested by allowing them to take regular breaks, and incorporate effective staff fatigue risk management when organising working patterns.
JP Lomas, from the Fatigue Group, said exhaustion was a common side-effect of working long hours, especially for high-stress jobs, and can lead to motorists taking risks.
Research from the organisation reported that 57 per cent of trainees and 45 per cent of consultants had experienced an accident or near miss when driving tired after a long shift.
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The road safety campaigners suggested a roadside sleep deprivation test could work in a similar way to a breathalyser
PALomas added: "With such a large number of tired employees on the roads all day and night, this is an urgent problem in the healthcare sector. We call for hospitals to provide dedicated rest time and spaces for staff.
"The so-called 'hero' culture where people continue working despite being exhausted for fear of looking 'weak' or letting others down, needs to be replaced by a safety culture where staff mitigate the impacts of fatigue with power naps and rest breaks.
"Our message is simple - getting enough rest is a necessity not a weakness, and could save lives."
