[Report 1971] / Medical Officer of Health, Cardigan.

  • Cardigan (Wales) n 82058909.
Date:
1971
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1971] / Medical Officer of Health, Cardigan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/80
    (v) Thus the prevention of road traffic accidents depends upon the driver to a much greater extent than it does upon the vehicle or the environment. Hence in the prevention of road traffic accidents it appears to be far moxs important to have safer drivers than to have safer vehicles or a safer environment. To promote safer driving by the individual it is first necessary to discover the causes of unsafe driving in ordor to be in a position to advise the individ- ual driver. At tlie outset it is important to realize that among private motorists it is impracticable to test for accident proneness with a view to withholding licences from those who fail the tests. Secondly, it mist be appreciated that in certain circumstances on the road, everyone is at risk. Some of these circumstances will now be summarized Thc most important factor in the production of fatigue associated with pro- longed driving is Hie time of day when driving is undertaken. Assuming Hie nor- mal diurnal rhythm, it has been shown that physiologically an individual is at his lowest ebb around 4.00 a.m., with a rapid rise in performance to 11.00 a.m. and then a slow rise until 9.00 p.m. when his alertness reaches its zenith. Therefore, a private motorist should arrange to avoid ending a prolonged period of driving during the early hours, and those who employ long distance drivers should ensure that shifts are not frequently changed and that a stable work- schedule obtains. Since it has been shown that in a spell of driving lasting twelve hours with the usual meal breaks drivers initiate 50 per cent more risky overtaking in the last three hours than in the first three hours, then a driver should arrange that the latter parts of a period of prolonged driving do not coincide with his physiological trough of alertness.