FATIGUE-RELATED TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

Every 20 seconds a plane touches down somewhere in the UK.

Many of the millions of passengers have travelled for hours, crossed time zones and missed sleep.

Often suffering from jetlag, many then decide to push their brains and bodies to the limit. They drive home from the airport.

Inside Out looks at jetlag and its role in tragic road accidents.

Jetlag explained

Jetlag occurs when you travel rapidly through time zones.

Your body’s biological clock can become ‘desynchronised’ and this may affect physical and mental performance.

Here are some symptoms of jetlag ..

Fatigue or exhaustion
Feelings of disorientation
Inability to sleep
Changes in bowel habits
Dehydration
Headaches and dry skin
Increased susceptibility to colds/viruses

Dangerous driving

Inside Out’s research at Manchester Airport found that 50 per cent of transcontinental passengers were driving home.

They are undeterred by the fact that a fifth of all accidents on Britain’s motorways are believed to be fatigue related.

North Yorkshire police believe a significant percentage of those are down to people coming off flights.

Traffic Constable Brian Rogers from North Yorkshire Police has attended tragic accidents where holiday luggage has been strewn across the carriageway.

He says, "People go on holiday to enjoy themselves and the memories are just of misery."

Avoiding accidents

If you are experiencing symptoms of jetlag, the safest decision is not to drive.

Here are some tips to avoid the symptoms developing ..

Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration
Don’t smoke, drink lots of alcohol or take unnecessary medication in flight
Sleep well in the days before the flight
Exercise whilst on the plane. Walk in the cabin and stretch whilst sitting
When you arrive in the new time zone, spend time outdoors in daylight. This may help cue your body clock
Change your watch to the time zone of your destination as soon as possible to help you adapt

Tragic experience

One person whose advice would be simply not to drive whilst tired is Ron Morgan.

Ron lost the most precious thing in his life

A drive home on North Yorkshire’s A19 after a holiday flight took away the most precious thing he knows and wrecked his life.

Ron fell asleep at the wheel and left the road.

When he woke up his wife Irene was dead.

Ron says, "The grass must’ve woken me up. I saw a signpost and didn’t have time to react. It was so sudden."

This is an upsetting story but not rare.

Transcontinental travellers should follow Ron’s advice - there is no point in saving a couple of hours in this world to arrive years early in the next.