Author: Alex Gregory
Source: ezinearticles.com

The risk of fatigue is mounting as drivers feel the pressure to safeguard their jobs – but could tiredness also be affecting your car insurance premiums?

According to Norwich Union, fatigue is responsible for around 10 per cent of all road accidents and those that result from sleepiness are more likely to end in death or serious injury because drivers fail to brake before impact.

Aside from the obvious added risk on the road, insurers take into account risk factors when assessing car insurance premiums. If you have a job which generally involves working long and late hours, therefore making you sleepier when you get behind the wheel, then your premiums are likely to be higher. Similarly, if you are involved in an accident as a result of tiredness your premiums will leap and a no-claims discount will be wiped out.

Driving while tired affects your reactions, making you slower and reducing your vigilance. It also reduces alertness and affects the quality of decision-making. So what steps can drivers take to ensure they’re refreshed when they get behind the wheel?

One step is to seek out alternatives. Do you really need to make a journey or could you resolve a matter with a phone call or video conferencing? Remember that reducing your mileage can also help you save on car insurance costs.

Another idea is to make sure journeys are carefully planned out to be as short as possible and that there are plenty of breaks factored in to long trips. If you are feeling tired behind the wheel, open a window and keep your mind active, before finding the nearest safe place to stop and take a nap – around 15 minutes of sleep time can refresh you sufficiently to get back on the road.

If you’re facing high car insurance premiums use a comparison website to compare car insurance quotes and find a cheaper policy.