Drink Driving vs. Driving Tired

[Phils_VTR]

What would you consider more dangerous?

I think about this on the days that I have finished a long night shift and as I drive back on the boring 20minute drive, mostly an empty dual carriageway with nothing to look at, I don't know where I am or what is going on. I have in the past been so tired that I have dropped off for only a second and whacking into a curb has startled me and made me all alert. That's when I truly realise how tired I am.

Obviously neither are advised, but drink driving seen more negatively. Whereas I myself would say that with a few drinks I would still be a safer driver than if I couldn't keep myself awake.

Discuss.

[Baz]

Depends how much you've drank and if your so tired your actually falling asleep really IMO

[Prickle]

Both of them are about as bad as eachother lol

Leave the windows wide open and you'll be reet. ;)

[JamesR]

I'd say ridiculously tired, whenever i've gone more than 24 hours without sleep I literally can't remember things that i've done and my concentration has been abysmal.

If I'd had 5 pints though I doubt I would be as impaired lol

[Giraffe]

Depends if you class drink driving as driving when clearly drunk or just over the limit?

Either way, I've done both and driving whilst tired was definitely the more dangerous of the two for me. Fell asleep twice in a journey back from Manchester, woken up by rumble strips at the side of the motorway both times. Horrendous feeling, and I had the windows open, music on and was pouring bottles of water over my head trying to stay awake, didn't work.

Bring on the hate... I don't do either now though, learnt from it.

[Llardy]

I'd say tiredness is more dangerous. on the 45 min drive from medway to my parents Im pretty sure I never fell asleep, but I was so tired I missed the middle part of my journey and was so surprised to see I had arrived home. I actually thought I time travelled because the journey only seemed about 10 mins long. scared the shit out of me.

[nicole_]

i think driving driving, as people are probably more brave/stupid? they'll take silly risks and speed etc.
i'd think most tired drivers know they are tired and are generally not speeding etc and it just takes a rumble strip on a motorway to wake you right up for the rest of the drive anyway, provided you havent hit someone else first ofc

although im a convicted dangerous driver, so my opinions pretty useless ha

[Ash1711]

Haven't read the replies but if you haven't said drink driving then you're all retarded.

[blackie_2k5]

Haven't read the replies but if you haven't said drink driving then you're all retarded.

Baz'a post sums thread up


As for the above that's the silliest thing I've ever read

Lack of sleep can put you in far worse states then drink ever could, can put you into phsycic states and trips not even hardcore drugs could

[smiith]

Drink driving, depending on how much you have drank..

Personally, no matter how tired i am, i never feel like i will fall asleep driving.. Just crack the window open and its all good..

Obviously if the drink driving is after a pint, then its not dangerous.. After 10, then yes

[0rang3peel]

Driving back from MK bowl the other month was insane I was so tired by the time I got to Cardiff, literally at one stage I nodded off and quickly woke up when my wheels hit the warning brail line thing lol.

The adrenaline/shock of that happening kept me awake for the rest of the journey but there is no way I should of been driving to be honest.

Haven't read the replies but if you haven't said drink driving then you're all retarded.

LOL

you clearly haven't driven home after nights of constantly getting on it and getting little sleep, it's far more dangerous than just having say 10 beers.

[tokyodrifte]

I think drink driving is more dangerous for other road users

[Carl-h]

I think it depends. When tired you don't tend to take silly risks (stupid overtakes, wrong side round blind bends) like you would when pissed. I'm often tired on the way to work as I'm up before 3am and its a boring 20 minute 10 mile drive. I haven't fell asleep yet but it could be bad if I do, although it's mostly town and A roads so it keeps me a little more alert. I'd rather not be tired but of had a beer or 2 I suppose, although if I'm driving I don't even have 1.

[blackie_2k5]

There are too many variables to give a decent debate

Depends too much on how much alcohol and how little sleep, and how well you handle your drink against how well you handle lack of sleep

For the most part it will be drink.. But do t discount lack of sleep

[Giraffe]

i think driving driving, as people are probably more brave/stupid? they'll take silly risks and speed etc.
i'd think most tired drivers know they are tired and are generally not speeding etc and it just takes a rumble strip on a motorway to wake you right up for the rest of the drive anyway, provided you havent hit someone else first ofc

although im a convicted dangerous driver, so my opinions pretty useless ha

Depends how much you've had to drink. If you know you're drunk but not legless, anyone I've spoken to has said they didn't drive fast at all and try and drive like a saint to avoid being pulled. I know when I've driven knowing I was over the limit in the past, I made sure not to go over the speed limit at all and was overcautious about keeping the car straight and indicating everywhere etc and concentrated like mad... a lot more than I usually would anyway.

[Ash1711]

Lack of sleep can put you in far worse states then drink ever could, can put you into phsycic states and trips not even hardcore drugs could

Fuck that's me staying awake for the next 96 hours :y:

[deano_123]

same thing innit, im usually half asleep when im buckled

[TomT]

Personally, no matter how tired i am, i never feel like i will fall asleep driving.. Just crack the window open and its all good..

Same but then again I have trouble just getting to sleep even when I'm in bed let alone when I'm doing something.

[iVTR]

Stupid poll to be honest, both as dangerous as each other... :s

[Phils_VTR]

Stupid poll to be honest, both as dangerous as each other... :s

Fair enough. I was just bored and wanted to hear other peoples opinions.

Thing is, for example, I know that if I told everyone I drink drove they'd be slating me but if I said I drove and was really tired they wouldn't batter an eyelid. When really I know personally that I would be safer driving after drinking, not too excessively but quite a bit but I still know what's going on, rather than driving stupidly tired to the point I am falling asleep as the wheel, no idea what's going on etc.

[Carlvtr88]

TBH. i can see what he means. Long distances, your at just as much risk nackered as you are pissed. But a short hop feeling shattered in the wheels on the way back from a late work shift or somet, imo, is much safer than a short drive with 8 pints down you.

I occasionally drink a can or two at my mates house, wait several hours while were DJing Etc., and then drive home. I feel guilty then, but i know i'm not over the limit. I would never drink then get straight in a car.

[logic_guy]

Driving while tired.

I've done this along the M1. You take a 'Blink' then you've past at least 5 lorries. I had one pull out in front of me and I could tell my reactions were slow. To be safe, I took a 2 hour kip in the services after this happened.

When i'm drunk, my concentration feels alot more focused and on form.

[piranhamatt]

i was falling asleep in the fast lane of a motorway in the work van..
luckily had a passenger and just forced him to swap with me.

drink driving is worse but i suppose they pay attention more to not getting caught

[Carlvtr88]

Driving while tired.

I've done this along the M1. You take a 'Blink' then you've past at least 5 lorries. I had one pull out in front of me and I could tell my reactions were slow. To be safe, I took a 2 hour kip in the services after this happened.

When i'm drunk, my concentration feels alot more focused and on form.


You'll find thats the beer talking dude:drink:

go on, jump off a roof, you can fly you know

[0rang3peel]

Fair enough. I was just bored and wanted to hear other peoples opinions.

Thing is, for example, I know that if I told everyone I drink drove they'd be slating me but if I said I drove and was really tired they wouldn't batter an eyelid. When really I know personally that I would be safer driving after drinking, not too excessively but quite a bit but I still know what's going on, rather than driving stupidly tired to the point I am falling asleep as the wheel, no idea what's going on etc.

but you're comparing one extreme to the other, being stupidly tired vs being slightly over the limit....

[kristel10589]

Driving whilst 'tired', i'm talking after like 24 hours with no sleep or people that barely sleep and then go do a night shift and then drive home. We've already had one crash last year because of this. Driving faster makes you stay awake due to needing more concentration but when you're that fucked driving fast to stay awake is not a good idea although neither is driving slower and actually falling asleep. I remember reading that the average person that works a 12 hours night shift and doesn't get at least 6 hours sleep in the day is generally 10 times more dangerous as someone that is just over the limit!

[logic_guy]

I see what you did Carl. Not Cool.

I thought Health and Safety say that if you work more then 12 hour shift, you need 8 or 10 hours sleep before you can start work the next day?

[kristel10589]

I see what you did Carl. Not Cool.

I thought Health and Safety say that if you work more then 12 hour shift, you need 8 or 10 hours sleep before you can start work the next day?

That's true but they don't know how long you're sleeping when you get home.

[stevo67]

Whether your drink driving or driving whilst tired it still boils down to driving whilst impaired.

[Phils_VTR]

Driving whilst 'tired', i'm talking after like 24 hours with no sleep or people that barely sleep and then go do a night shift and then drive home. We've already had one crash last year because of this. Driving faster makes you stay awake due to needing more concentration but when you're that fucked driving fast to stay awake is not a good idea although neither is driving slower and actually falling asleep. I remember reading that the average person that works a 12 hours night shift and doesn't get at least 6 hours sleep in the day is generally 10 times more dangerous as someone that is just over the limit!

That is a very interesting piece of information. :A:

I see what you did Carl. Not Cool.

I thought Health and Safety say that if you work more then 12 hour shift, you need 8 or 10 hours sleep before you can start work the next day?

I think per shift you can work 18hours a shift max, but where I work it is down to 16 due to a couple years ago a bloke after an 18 hour shift fell asleep at the wheel and hit another car resulting in the other drivers death. :n:

[Ella_P]

I'd say driving tired is worse. I'd rather have my reactions slowed down (drunk) than be asleep at the wheel.

Also, you know when you're driving drunk. Driving tired creeps up on you, so I think that's more dangerous.

[Saxotim]

Driving tired, easily. Binned my old vtr falling asleep on the way home from work a few years ago.

Always massively confused when I'm tired too, driving home off nights a few weeks ago got to a roundabout near mine thought to myself where the fuck am I, saw the Tesco on roundabout, remembered where I was but couldnt remember why I was going into Leeds cos I thought I was on my way to work. That took a while to figure out.

[logic_guy]

That is a very interesting piece of information. :A:



I think per shift you can work 18hours a shift max, but where I work it is down to 16 due to a couple years ago a bloke after an 18 hour shift fell asleep at the wheel and hit another car resulting in the other drivers death. :n:

The time you drive to and from work and have breakfast and something to eat, you could have only slept for 5 hours before your next shift :panic. What job do you do?

[Phils_VTR]

The time you drive to and from work and have breakfast and something to eat, you could have only slept for 5 hours before your next shift :panic. What job do you do?

I don't work 16 hour shifts myself haha, I'm lazier than that. I work nights though, not long hours but don't finish until early morning hours. I load Cargo Airplanes. Dreading this weekend though, put myself down overtime for an 11 hour shift 6pm Sat - 5am Sun :panic:

[W103_A5H]

I often feel tired behind the wheel on the way home from work and I work 10 hour night shift then I have an hour drive from work. I have sometimes almost fell asleep behind the wheel at which point I usually pull over for 5 mins to try and wake myself up a bit. It scares the shit out of me to think I could drift off just like that! I think when you are drunk/over the limit its not as bad as being tired takes a second to dose off behind the wheel. I usually find that if I have something to eat before I drive home im fine so I often stop in the petrol station near by and get an energy drink and a sausage roll or something. When I get home I don't usually go straight to bed either as I want to chill for an hour or 2 before I go to bed and when I get up from work, so I only usually have about 6 hours sleep which doesn't help for the next day lol.

But my awnser to the Q; I think tired driving is more dangerous. Having said that I have never been a drink driver but the way tiredness can effect you more makes it seem more unsafe.

[Mr_P]

That is a very interesting piece of information. :A:



I think per shift you can work 18hours a shift max, but where I work it is down to 16 due to a couple years ago a bloke after an 18 hour shift fell asleep at the wheel and hit another car resulting in the other drivers death. :n:

The law is 16 in any 24 hours, up to 6 days in a row or some shit.

Worst I did, was up at 5:30am, left house at 6am. Hour drive to work for 7. Worked there until 6pm. Emergency in port talbot, 35 minute drive there. Left work for home at 7:30am the next morning.

Drive home perfectly fine. Shower, bed by 10. Up at 5, out on the piss.


And I've gotta be honest, getting pissed while tired and driving is far more dangerous!

[iVTR]

When I was 18 I drove a 3.5 ton van for a shitty green supermarket. After a long day, was fucking nakered.. I remember joining the motorway and then waking up as I vibrated over the lines into the hard shoulder.

Fuck me that woke me up. I feel bad for doing it to this day and know I got off bloody lucky. Such a cunt.

[RobVT]

I drive better drunk, so I'm drunk all the time

Although some mornings at work I think "how did I get here" I don't remember driving to work 9/10 times

[P_Connor]

I'm with others, cannot seem to get tired behind the wheel. At least not tired enough to doze off. I love to drive, but since my previous experience with drink driving I won't be risking it again.

I got a nice eye opener and warning sign. Nothing bad happened.

[Sam]

I quite often drive while tired, I work nights at a power station in Scotland and have a 2.5hour drive home along the M6 after my block of nights. Ive only ever once scared myself (been doing it for 7months) when i took an extra long blink. No more than 3 seconds (like looking at the radio) it shocked me, so i pulled into the next service station ate 3/4 of a large dairy milk and half a can of coke. Gave me a sugar rush all the way home :)

[Cam]

Drink driving i say,

I drove super tired once funny enough was this time last year went USC straight after work so by lunch time had already been up 24 hours, anyway didnt sleep the whole weekend and drove home. They had 50mph all along m1 and around m25 not once did i nearly fall asleep though, its a 3 hour drive from mine needless to say i slept like a baby when i got home though lol.

Also all these people saying i do night shift so drive tired alot why dont you sleep when your spose to then

[Manu]

lol, what is more dangerous than dangerous. Don't drink and drive, and take breaks when you're driving for a few hours.

[EwynSaxo]

I drove from south wales to Norwich last night driving tired is a horrible feeling

[Jamie]

Drink driving because tiredness can be overcome with Red bull, stopping at a service station and dousing yourself in water, leave windows open and air con not to mention loud music.

Alcohol can be overcome when it's out of your system.

[iDale]

Both are dangerous imo. I hate driving tired, always get very sleepy, but I think if you're tired you can pull over and have a quick 10minute power nap. Whereas if your over the limit you're less likely to think as rationally.

All IMO of course.