Fatigue behind the wheel similar to having several drinks: police
Posted March 10, 2018 7:27 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – You may want to get some extra sleep this weekend as we lose an hour thanks to Daylight Saving Time. Clocks move forward one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday.
The semi-annual change comes with a warning from both police and ICBC as the province records hundreds of fatigue-related crashes.
The most recent statistics from the insurance provider show 940 collisions are linked to fatigue every year, with most of them happening on the weekend.
The fixes are obvious, roll down the window, listen to the radio, drink some coffee or just stay off the road if you can’t handle it.
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Vancouver Police Sergeant Jason Robillard says being tired has similar effects to impaired driving. “It depends on how many hours you’ve [missed]. For instance, if you’re working a night shift and you’re driving home — it could be the equivalent of having several drinks of alcohol. A lack of sleep can definitely impair your motor functions especially if you are behind the wheel.”
He adds it’s critical no one take this lightly and take precautions to stay off the road if they have to as it typically takes most people a week to adjust. “We just want people to be aware of their sleep patterns and how it’s affecting them, especially if they’re going for a longer drive or if they are behind the wheel at all just make sure you’re well rested and that you are aware of how your body is reacting to the time change.”
Robillard explains it can be tricky for officers to list fatigue as a major factor in crashes, simply because most investigations are incredibly complex.
Putting a stop to having BC participate in Daylight Saving altogether is being reviewed by the provincial government right now. The Kamloops-based group, Stop the Time Change, says significant progress has been made since Premier John Horgan told NEWS 1130 last year he’s willing to consider it.
We fall back an hour on November 4th.
