Health

Your eyesight

All drivers must be able to read, in good daylight, a current-style number plate (on vehicles registered since 2001) from 20 metres. Glasses or correctivelenses may be worn if necessary. If you do need to wear glasses or corrective lenses to read the number plate, then you must also use them while driving.

For more information on drivers’ eyesight requirements, see www.gov.uk

Fitness to drive

You must

• be medically fit to drive
• understand that some medicines shouldn’t be taken if you intend to drive. Check with your doctor that it’s safe to drive on prescription medicine
• notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea (Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland) if your health is likely to affect your ability to drive either now or, because of a worsening condition, in the future.

Don’t drive if you’re feeling tired or unwell. Even a cold can make it unsafe for you to drive. If you find you’re losing concentration or not feeling well, keep your speed to a safe minimum and give yourself more time to react. Take a break when possible and consider handing over the driving to someone else.

It’s also important to be physically fit to drive. You must have full control of your vehicle at all times.

Remember that, for example

• a twisted ankle can reduce pedal control
• a stiff neck can make it difficult to look behind when reversing or checking blind spots.

Alcohol

Alcohol will seriously reduce your judgement and ability to drive safely. You must be aware that

• driving with alcohol in your blood is potentially very dangerous. There are severe penalties if you drive or attempt to drive while over the legal limit
• if you drink in the evening, you might still be over the legal limit and unfit to drive the following morning.

Alcohol is removed from the blood at the rate of about one unit an hour, but this varies from person to person. If you know how many units you’ve had, you can work out roughly how many hours it will take for your body to be alcohol-free. To be on the safe side you should start counting from when you had your last drink.

To be absolutely sure there’s no alcohol left in your body the morning after

drinking, you can check yourself with a home breath-testing kit. The only safe limit, ever, is a zero limit.

You MUST NOT drive if your breath alcohol level is higher than the legally permitted level – see www.gov.uk

Drugs

Driving when you’re under the influence of drugs is an offence. This includes some prescription medications that can affect your ability to drive safely.

The effects of drugs can be unpredictable and you may not be aware of them. The direct effects of some drugs can last up to 72 hours.

A new offence of driving with certain illegal drugs in your body came into force in March 2015. The new rules mean that it’s an offence to be over the specified limits for certain drugs, such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy. Even using a small amount of illegal drugs could result in a positive test and a conviction.

The penalties are a 12-month driving ban, a criminal record and a possible prison sentence.

Visit www.gov.uk for more information.

Fatigue

Fatigue can mean feeling tired, sleepy or lacking energy. Symptoms can include

• slower reflexes
• poor decision making
• headaches
• lack of concentration
• muscle weakness
• irritability.

Driving while you’re tired increases your risk of being involved in a collision.

Don’t begin a journey if you feel tired – make sure you get a good night’s sleep before starting a long journey.

Try to avoid driving between 2.00 am and 7.00 am, because this is when the ‘body clock’ is in a daily dip.

If you begin to feel sleepy, stop in a safe place before you get to the stage of ‘fighting sleep’. Sleep can come upon you more quickly than you would imagine. Also, when you’re very tired, you can experience micro-sleeps, which means that you could lose consciousness for up to 30 seconds.

If it’s not possible to stop immediately, open a window for fresh air. Stop as soon as it’s safe and legal to do so. On a motorway, pull in at the nearest service area or leave the motorway. The only time you may stop on the hard shoulder of the motorway is in an emergency, so you MUST NOT stop there to rest.

The most effective ways to counter sleepiness are caffeine and a short nap. The combination of a caffeinated drink (for example, caffeinated coffee), followed by a short nap of up to 15 minutes, is particularly effective. Caffeine takes 20–30 minutes to be absorbed and act on the brain, which will give you the opportunity for a nap. However, this shouldn’t be used as a long-term solution to your sleepiness.

Don’t drive for too long without taking a break. Your concentration will be much better if you plan regular stops for rest and refreshments. It’s recommended that you take a break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving. This is especially important at night.