• The risk of being involved in a crash increase significantly when you are sleep deprived.
• People with less than 4 hours of sleep are over 10 times more likely to be involved in a crash that leads to an injury.
• Getting even 2-3 hours less sleep than normal increases risk three-fold.
• Driving in the early hours of the morning (2am – 5am) increases the risk of being in a fatal crash by ten-fold.
• While almost all Victorian drivers agree that drowsy driving is risky, in the last 12 months 21% had driven while so tired they struggled to keep their eyes open.

Before you drive, make sure you:

• Get a good night’s sleep - ideally eight hours of good, undisturbed sleep.
• Avoid driving at times you’re normally sleeping.
• Understand the effects any medicine you're taking might have on your driving.
• Plan regular breaks on long drives – at least every two hours.
• When possible, arrange to share the driving.
• When you know you’re tired, avoid driving altogether. Take a taxi, public transport or rely on another driver.

If you are driving:

• Seek somewhere to stop and rest when feeling any signs of tiredness.
• Know and look for the warning signs of fatigue.
• Pull over in a safe place (such as a rest area, tourist spots, Pause Stop or Driver Reviver site) and take a break or have a 15-20 minute powernap.
• When possible, share the driving.

Watch for the warning signs of tired driving

• Difficulty keeping to the centre of the road
• Struggling to keep your eyes open
• Blurred vision/ eyes losing focus
• Zoning out, loss of concentration or mind wandering
• Nodding off to sleep, head nodding, or jerking back up (if this happens, stop driving)
• Not being able to recall the previous few minutes of driving (being on ‘auto-pilot’)
• Feeling bored, irritable, aggressive or impatient.

Our Pause Stop sites are running across Victoria during key holiday periods. The stops are to encourage drivers to pull over, recharge so you can get to your destination safely.

There are more than 60 places to pause from the road across Victoria during key holiday periods.

Find a Pause Stop near you.

How do we know insufficient sleep increases crash risk?

Our tired driving campaign was informed by two pieces of research from Monash University.

1. The impaired driving assessment – Track Trial: The main findings from the research found the risk of crashing after 5 hours of sleep was 4.4 times compared to 8 hours of sleep. Under 5 hours sleep the crash risk increased substantially.
2. Attitudes and Awareness Towards Drowsy Driving Survey: The main findings from the survey found;

• Young males reported a greater risk of falling asleep behind the wheel.
• There was good awareness among the population of the dangers of driving tired.
• Minimum sleep requirements were the largest risk factor when driving tried.

Are there any proven benefits to stopping to powernap?

The benefits of napping are clear, but these power naps should be no longer than 20 minutes (as recommended by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), as otherwise your body may head into deep sleep.  A light sleep or power nap has been shown to increase alertness. Research has found that power naps may actually provide short-term benefits for cognitive functioning and boost energy levels.

What are some suggestions on how I can avoid driving if I am tired?

• Avoid driving at times you would normally be sleeping
• Plan your drive, drive when well rested
• Have a powernap (15 -20 minutes)
• When possible, arrange to share the driving
• Take a taxi, public transport or rely on another driver

What am I supposed to do if I live in a rural area?

If you live in a rural area where taxis or public transport are not available, consider relying on another driver, or avoid driving altogether. Aim to get eight hours of good, undisturbed sleep before driving

Are there any support services for those who are concerned about their sleep quality?

If you are concerned about your sleep quality you should speak to your GP.

The SleepHealth Foundation is a not for profit health promotion charity that aims to raise community awareness about the value of sleep and its common disorders.