To the Advertising Standards Bureau,
I am alarmed by the Coca-Cola advertisement on TV which states that "your favourite song should be
played so loud, neighbours you didn't even know you had ask you to turn it
down". This is followed by neighbours turning on their lights in response
to being disturbed late at night, concluding with the notion "that's
music, the way it should be". It is
a grave concern that people are being encouraged to behave this way. I believe
the ad should be removed because it is a portrayal of assault, likely to be
emulated by many people, and thereby harming community health, and in
particular, torturing those less-tolerant of noise. It is probably portraying
an unlawful act. It shows no sense of obligation to society, and is likely to
encourage other forms of anti-social behaviour. It is irresponsible use of
noise, which is becoming a trend in advertising. It should be stopped.
The ad encourages a number of stereotypical
rebellious rock-n-roll behaviours, spoken in an a
relentless monotone of angry defiance, such as: music should make you want to
drop out of school and learn guitar, there should be blood on the frets, your
parents should disapprove, you should spend all your money on concert tickets,
etc.
Portrayal of Assault
Noise hits the nervous system with atoms as
real as those in a baseball bat striking the head. It causes pain, adrenal
shock and possible injury. When prolonged, it becomes torture. It is violence.
Noise is used as torture in war time. The neighbours' lights turning on is a
depiction of injury, someone has been hurt. The ad is condoning noise violence
against one's neighbour. It is never acceptable for adults to knowingly
encourage gratuitous assault, and certainly not justifiable to sell soft-drink.
It is akin to throwing chairs out of a building without looking below - it is
reckless firing of noise into surrounding homes without regard to whom it
hurts. It is theft of energy, concentration, time, rest, relaxation,
socialisation, mood, and countless other qualities of life. It is trespass into
private property. It is invasion of personal space. It is a crime.
Likely to be Emulated
The ad is not humourous, satirical or ridiculous,
but rather is spoken with an angry attitude of defiance, authority and realism
- suggesting this should be normal and reaalistic behaviour. Hence it is likely
to be emulated by many people, particularly the young.
Harmful to Community Health
The World Health Organisation, the New
South Wales Health Department, and the Australian enHealth Council (a
subcommittee of the National Public Health Partnership) all acknowledge that
community noise is harmful to health - see references below for detailed
effects of noise on health.
By the World Health Organisation's
definition of health (as well-being), simply being annoyed by noise is a
negative health factor by itself.
Noise and vibrations cause a startle/shock
response which cascades into a host of harmful physiological stress reactions.
It increases heart rate, raises blood pressure, causes vasoconstriction, and
triggers glandular and gastrointestinal changes. After prolonged exposure,
susceptible individuals may develop permanent cardiovascular problems such as
high blood pressure and ischaemic heart disease.
It contributes to mental/emotional problems
such as depression and anxiety, as well as increased use of sedative drugs. It
causes sleep deprivation. Socially it
causes aggression, unfriendliness, disengagement and non-participation.
Physically it causes headache, nausea, irritability, fatigue, loss of appetite,
reduced sex drive and more.
Prolonged noise magnifies these into
serious health concerns. The ad is a health hazard, no doubt already causing
pain to many people. There is also no concern for the damage loud music can do
to young ears.
Torturing those Less-Tolerant of Noise
The ad is completely insensitive to
sections of the community who have reduced tolerance for noise, for example,
the elderly, those weakened with health problems, the mentally ill, a young
mother trying to calm a baby, a war veteran with post traumatic stress disorder
for whom thumping bass vibrations trigger shock reactions as real as war-time
bombs, those suffering from hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to noise), those
with sleep-disorders, or those simply experiencing stress from some life event.
The ad is causing great pain to the lives of many people. It is discriminatory.
It sends the message your neighbours are weak, powerless, defenceless - let's
harass them, let's persecute them.
Encourages Anti-Social Behaviour
The ad conveys no sense of obligation to
your fellow citizen, and this can only encourage other forms of anti-social
behaviour. It has been suggested that when people break one law with impunity,
it will lead to other laws being broken. This "broken window" theory
was demonstrated in
Acoustic Arson
The effect of this ad will compound
throughout the community, because once one neighbour pollutes with noise, other
neighbours often turn up their own noise, either to copy or drown out the
instigator. In effect, noise spreads like wildfire. Each time one of these
inciting ads is aired, pockets of noise "fires" break out all over
the community and, unless suppressed by responsible people, spread into a
cacophony of noisy neighbourhoods. Great pain, threats, persecution and
assaults are experienced by responsible citizens trying to police such
escalations. It is acoustic arson. The advertisers light fires and walk away
with impunity. If these ads continue, it will become normal for the community
to be continually ablaze with noise and disorder.
Portrayal of Unlawful Act
The ad almost certainly portrays an
unlawful act. Home owners have a legal right to peaceful enjoyment of their
property, particularly late at night, when this ad is depicted. The ad
irresponsibly sends the message that either such behaviour is legal, or that
breaking the law is acceptable behaviour.
No Obligation to Society Shown
Ads should be prepared with a sense of
obligation to society. This ad has none. In fact, it suggests your satisfaction
is best achieved when you have destroyed someone else's peace. How much more
offensive or sadistic can you be? It suggests annoying one's neighbours is a
legitimate sport. I am sure the advertisers will protest with likely excuses
such as "it's harmless fun", "noise
never hurt anyone", "if the music is too loud, you are too old"
- all these excuses are disrespectful and contemptuous of a large part of the
community.
Irresponsible Use of Noise
Some people acknowledge that responsible
use of loud music or parties is to considerately inform neighbours of your
intentions weeks or months ahead of the event. In such cases, neighbours who
are likely to be disturbed are more able to make arrangements such as going out
for the night. The fact that the ad shows neighbours complaining suggests
either they were not forewarned, or the music was so loud as to be
unreasonable, or the music was late at night, or this was not a one-off event
but everyday harassment. On all accounts, that is irresponsible use of noise.
We have responsible consumption of alcohol, responsible use of motors cars,
responsible ownership of weapons - where is the responsible use of noise?
Alarming Trend in Advertising
This is the second outrageously obnoxious ad
by Coca-Cola demonstrating reckless harassment with noise. The previous ad
showed a gigantic sound system blasting forth music from a beach-home in
From memory, I also recall an ad which
showed young people assaulting tai-chi practitioners in a park by abusing them
with a loudhailer, possibly in the pursuit of "cheap thrills" to sell
jeans. This trend will only continue and escalate if left unchecked. Power
fills a vacuum. The only way for evil to flourish is for good people to do
nothing. You have the power to encourage this trend, or to restore civility.
Time for Responsible Use of Noise
The now widespread use of high powered
sound systems in cars, homes and shopping centres highlights the need to take
action on this problem now. Our time is in need of demonstrated responsible use
of noise. Neighbourhoods are already disturbed by cars prowling around with
thumping bass vibrations. Shopping centres are gauntlets of noisy shops. Homes
are already disturbed by their neighbours' stereos and surround-sound systems.
It is clearly offensive to encourage abuse of this technology. It is time for
responsible use of noise in advertising.
Damage Already Done
An entire sub-culture of noisy people now,
for the rest of their lives, will be strengthened with the belief that their
anti-social behaviour is supported by many like-minded people. This damage
cannot be undone. It is a shot in their arm that they will draw strength from
for the rest of their lives. Coca-Cola and the advertisers are to blame for
this step into disorder. Shame on them.
Society, the Way it Should
Be
Your neighbours should be respected so
much, that their concern for noise, is your concern. That's society, the way it
should be.
Multiple Reasons to Remove this
Advertisement
This ad should be removed for multiple
reasons - portrayal of assault, harming health, torturing
sections of the community, inciting anti-social behaviour, shirking its obligation
to society, and showing an unlawful act.
I ask that you please remove the ad, for
the sake of those suffering because of it.
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ADVERSE EFFECTS OF NOISE ON
HEALTH
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The following extracts were taken from
various published papers on the subject of noise and health.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION
The World Health Organisation's
constitution defines health as:
"A state of complete
physical and mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease
or infirmity." (Berglund, 2000)
It also defines community noise as noise
emitted from all sources, except noise in the industrial workplace:
"Community noise includes the primary
sources of road, rail and air traffic, industries, construction and public
works and the neighbourhood" (WHO, 1999)
RFS JOB, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY,
"Community reaction (responses to
noise) is of importance for two reasons. First, it is of importance as a factor
of human quality of life, in its own right. People who have their daily
activities (conversation, listening to music, watching television, reading,
sleeping) disturbed, and who are dissatisfied and annoyed clearly have reduced
quality of life. Within the World Health Organisation's definition of health
(as well-being, not just the absence of disease) community reaction to noise is
itself a negative health factor. Second, community reaction may be a factor in
other aspects of health. It is possible that high levels of reaction to noise
contribute to other putative effects of noise such as elevated blood pressure
and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
The possibility exists
that noise exposure and community reaction cause or exacerbate other health
problems."
THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE -
OTHER THAN HEARING LOSS
(report for the
enHealth Council by the New South Wales Health Department)
Commonwealth of
http://enhealth.nphp.gov.au/council/pubs/pubs.htm
Executive Summary
Environmental noise is increasingly
becoming a community concern both internationally and in
Recommendation - Recognise Environmental
Noise as a Potential Health Concern
The World Health Organisation, European
Community members and numerous other countries have determined there is
'sufficient evidence' linking noise with annoyance, school children's
performance, sleep disturbance, ischaemic heart disease and hypertension. Currently,
there appears sufficient information to merit public health action in
... it is possible
that some vulnerable groups, who are exposed to noise over which they have no
control, may be vulnerable to mental health problems. What is more certain is
that those with existing mental health problems, usually either depression or
anxiety, are more prone to be annoyed and disturbed by environmental noise
exposure than the general population.
There is growing evidence that chronic
exposure to environmental noise leads to both impaired cognitive function
(reading, motivation) and health (annoyance, blood pressure) in children.
Impairment of early childhood development and education by environmental
pollutants such as noise may have life-long effects on achieving academic
potential and good health.
Sound, Noise and Human Response
Hearing has evolved from our need to alert,
to warn and to communicate. As a result,
sound, wanted or unwanted, directly evokes reflexes, emotions and actions,
which can be a stimulant and a stressor. The extent to which noise can act as a
stimulant and stressor is related to the noise source, onset of noise, duration
and characteristics of the sound and whether noise exposure is voluntary or
involuntary.
Our response to noise is linked to the
sound characteristics. Physiologically, we may reflexively orient to and away
from a sound, startle or demonstrate a defensive response depending on the
nature of the sound and our rapid ability to localise and interpret the sound
and attribute meaning to it.
Noise stimulates the brain's reticular
activating system. Neural impulses spread from the reticular system to the
higher cortex and throughout the central nervous system. Noise
can, therefore, influence perceptual, motor and cognitive behaviour, and also
trigger glandular, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal changes by means of the
autonomic nervous system.
Adverse Health Effects of Noise
Children, people with existing physical and
mental illness, and the elderly are most susceptible to noise.
- Annoyance and Quality of Life
The most widespread subjective response to
noise is annoyance, which may include fear and mild anger, relating to the
belief that one is being avoidably harmed ... Noise is also seen as intrusive
into personal privacy, which may be particularly important in urban settings
... Annoyance is the general term used to describe individuals' responses
evoked by a loud noise. It is also related to the effects of noise in
disrupting conversation, activities requiring attention, rest and relaxation
activities ... Approximately nine percent of residents surveyed who were
seriously annoyed by the noise also indicated they had become aggressive due to
the extent and nature of noise impacts ... Noise annoyance is clearly a
reflection of impaired quality of life.
- Sleep Disturbance
Noise interferes with sleep in a number of
ways: awakening; altered sleep pattern; reduce the percentage and total time in
REM sleep; increase body movement; change cardiovascular responses; cause
effects on slow wave sleep ... These changes can affect mood and performance
the next day.
Sleep loss reduces cognitive function and
can affect physiology, behaviour and subjective outcomes. Statistically
significant reductions occur in vigilance, memory, learning and speech and
increases in divergent thinking with varying amounts of sleep loss as well as
with different 'forms' of sleep loss, such as acute total sleep loss and
cumulative partial sleep loss.
Noise affects people's ability to gain the
appropriate amount and type of sleep needed for maintenance of good health and
there are suggestions of disturbed sleep leading to more serious health
problems.
- Performance and Learning - School
Children
There is sufficient evidence supporting a
conclusion that chronic noise exposure at schools affects child health and
performance. The importance of those impairments of early
childhood development have been recognised by the United States Federal
Interagency Commission on Noise; the World Health Organisation and the European
Commission.
- Cardiovascular Disease
The relationship between
annoyance to noise and increased relative risks of ischaemic heart disease
(IHD) merit further attention given the increasing levels of community concern
and annoyance and the significant prevalence of cardiovascular conditions
within the Australian adult population.
Noise, acting as a stressor, is thought to
have an impact on the cardiovascular system through certain stress response
mechanisms such as the release of cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin which
have cascade effects including raising blood pressure and increasing
vasoconstriction ... a cross-sectional study found as association between
noise, annoyance and cardiovascular disease.
Given the seriousness and the costs to
society of cardiovascular disease through early deaths, disability, days lost
to work, health care costs and deterioration in quality of life, small changes
in risk, such as provided by environmental noise, might have significant
population health effects and societal costs.
- Mental Health
Mental health is one of seven national
health priority areas designated by the Australian Government and the State
governments. Mental health relates to emotions, thoughts and behaviours ...
even minor mental health problems may affect everyday activities to the extent
that individuals cannot function as they would wish, or are expected to, within
their family and community.
Sensitivity to noise and annoyance from noise
is possibly related to certain types of mental disorders such as depression ...
It has been suggested noise can be a source of stress of a psychological,
behavioural or somatic nature ... Noise exposure predicts annoyance,
psychological symptoms and impaired quality of life in both adults and children
... certain people, such as those already stressed, are more sensitive to noise
than other, less stressed, people.
Noise and Neuro-Physiological Stress - Main
Effect
... sudden or impulsive noise bursts
resulted in stress reaction changes that included changes in cardiovascular
blood pressure and volume, breathing, pulse rate, gastrointestinal motility,
endocrine gland secretions and neural activity changes in animals and people.
Certain neurological disorders result in a
failure to filter out background noise, such that the sufferer experiences
stimulus from even distant sound.
Noise Sources and Impacts in
Within the neighbourhood environment, in
addition to road and air traffic, a number of noise sources are raised in
surveys of community annoyance. These include a range of activities from the
neighbour's barking dog, stereo or car alarm to local government garbage
collection.
International Best Practice Noise
Management - Residential Noise
Annoyance studies have found the loud
voices of neighbours, their parties and stereo equipment, though not as highly
ranked as transportation sources, are of universal concern ... there appears to
be universal concern about increasing sound power levels of stereo systems,
appliances and power tools.
Responding to Environmental Noise in
Community concern over environmental noise
is growing, particularly as a result of increasing urban density, significant
shifts in inner city land use and growing residential use of rezoned industrial
areas.
While environmental noise may have
previously been largely viewed as an amenity issue and not associated with
significant public health consequences, this report indicates that this is
unlikely to be the case. Indeed, it would now appear prudent to view
environmental noise as a growing public health problem, and one that deserves
more attention than it currently receives.
Suggested actions:
- Promote awareness of the non-auditory
impacts of environmental noise on health, in particular, the need for State and
Territory and Australian Government agencies to include noise as an important
environmental health issue for strategic and local planning.
- Adopt the WHO Guidelines for Community
Noise.
- Develop a national environmental noise
education program.
- Examine measures to reduce noise
generated by consumer goods, including amending consumer protection legislation
and policies.
WILLIAM H. STEWART (former U.S. Surgeon
General)
"Calling noise a nuisance is like
calling smog an inconvenience. Noise must be considered a hazard to the health
of people everywhere."
ARLINE L. BRONZAFT PhD
Environmental Psychologist
Professor Emerita,
Chair of Noise Pollution Committee,
League for the Hard of Hearing,
Rehabilitation Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 1, 2000:-
Noise Not Just an Annoyance, but a Health
Hazard.
"There are a number of investigative
studies that indicate noise is not simply an annoyance but rather a hazard to
one's physical and mental well-being. Despite the many stories appearing in the
media and the data indicating that noise is harmful to health, too often people
who complain about noise are told to cope with or adapt to the disturbing
sound. When some respond they can't, they may be called peculiar or labeled as
suffering from a psychological disorder. They are also told that their
neighbours who are exposed to the same noises have learned to live with the
noise. Such responses to noise complaints tend to lessen formal complaints to
legal authorities, and, eventually, these people stop talking to others about
the bothersome noises. This does not mean that they are no longer upset by the
offensive sounds.
What happens to the individuals who are
overwhelmed by invasive noises but have been told to stop complaining? Some
adjust their sleeping schedules so that they won't have their sleep disturbed
by their noisy neighbours. Others find that they are constantly thinking about
the noise and it assumes a dominant place in their lives at the expense of
other activities in which they were once interested and involved. Many people,
after failing to correct the noise problem, believe that they can't do anything
to stop the noise. Such people often assume a posture of learned helplessness
and behave as if they have adapted to the noise.
However, if you were to tap into their
inner feelings, they will express a hatred of the noise and a
disgust for themselves for allowing the noise to win out. All of these
people have one thing in common - they have lost control over their
lives."
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION: ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION OF THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT: GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNITY NOISE, 1995-2000.
http://www.who.int/docstore/peh/noise/guidelines2.html
Adverse Health Effects of Noise
... this document
is related to the adverse effects of sound (noise). According to the
International Programme on Chemical Safety (WHO 1994), an adverse effect of
noise is defined as a change in the morphology and physiology of an organism
that results in impairment of functional capacity, or an impairment of capacity
to compensate for additional stress, or increases the susceptibility of an
organism to the harmful effects of other environmental influences. This
definition includes any temporary or long-term lowering of the physical,
psychological or social functioning of humans or human organs. The health
significance of noise pollution is given in this chapter under separate
headings, according to the specific effects: noise-induced hearing impairment;
interference with speech communication; disturbance of rest and sleep; psychophysiological,
mental health and performance effects; effects on residential behaviour and
annoyance; as well as interference with intended activities.
Sleep Disturbance
Uninterrupted sleep is known to be a
prerequisite for good physiological and mental functioning of healthy persons
(Hobson 1989); sleep disturbance, on the other hand, is considered to be a
major environmental noise effect. (See 7, 8, 9 & 10 of this document).
Exposure to night-time noise also induces
secondary effects, or so-called after effects. These are effects that can be
measured the day following the night-time exposure, while the individual is
awake. The secondary effects include reduced perceived sleep quality; increased
fatigue; depressed mood or well-being; and decreased performance (Ohrstrom
1993a; Passchier-Vermeer 1993; Carter 1996; Pearsons et al. 1995; Pearsons
1998).
Long-term effects on psychosocial
well-being have also been related to noise exposure during the night. Noise
annoyance during the night-time increased the total noise annoyance expressed
by people in the following 24 hours. Various studies have also shown that
people living in areas exposed to night-time noise have an increased use of
sedatives or sleeping pills. Other frequently reported behavioural effects of
night-time noise include closed bedroom windows and use of personal hearing
protection. Sensitive groups include the elderly, shift workers, persons
especially vulnerable to physical or mental disorders and other individuals
with sleeping difficulties.
Cardiovascular and Physiological Effects
It has been postulated that noise acts as
an environmental stressor. Acute noise exposures activate the autonomic and
hormonal systems, leading to temporary changes such as increased blood
pressure, increased heart rate and vasoconstriction. After prolonged exposure,
susceptible individuals in the general population may develop permanent
effects, such as hypertension and ischaemic heart disease associated with
exposures to high sound pressure-levels. Sounds also evoke reflex responses,
particularly when they are unfamiliar and have a sudden onset.
By far the greatest number of occupational
and community noise studies have focused on the possibility that noise may be a
risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Mental Health Effects
Studies on the adverse effects of
environmental noise on mental health cover a variety of symptoms, including
anxiety, emotional stress, nervous complaints, nausea, headaches, instability,
argumentativeness, sexual impotency, changes in mood, increase in social
conflicts, as well as general psychiatric disorders such as neurosis, psychosis
and hysteria.
Large-scale population studies have
suggested associations between noise exposure and a variety of mental health
indicators, such as single rating of well-being, standard psychological symptom
profiles, the intake of psychotropic drugs, and consumption of tranquilisers
and sleeping pills.
Effects of Noise on Residential Behaviour
and Annoyance
Noise annoyance is a global phenomenon. A
definition of annoyance is "a feeling of displeasure associated with any
agent or condition, known or believed by an individual or group to adversely
affect them". However, apart from "annoyance" people may feel a
variety of negative emotions when exposed to community noise, and may report
anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction, withdrawal, helplessness, depression,
anxiety, distraction, agitation, or exhaustion (Job 1993).
Thus although the term annoyance does not cover all the negative reactions, it
is used for convenience in this document. Social and behavioural effects
include changes in overt everyday behaviour patterns (e.g. closing windows, not
using balconies, turning TV and radio to louder levels, writing petitions,
complaining to authorities); adverse changes in social behaviour (e.g.
aggression, unfriendliness, disengagement, non-participation); adverse changes
in social indicators (e.g. residential mobility, hospital admissions, drug
consumption, accident rates); and changes in mood (e.g. less happy, more
depressed).
Although changes in social behaviour such
as a reduction in helpfulness and increased aggressiveness are associated with
noise exposure, noise exposure alone is not believed to be sufficient to
produce aggression. However, in combination with provocation or pre-existing
anger or hostility, it may trigger aggression. It has also been suspected that
people are less willing to help, both during exposure and for a period after
exposure.
The Effects of Combined Noise Sources
Many acoustical environments consist of
sounds from more than one source. For
these environments, health effects are associated with the total noise
exposure, rather than with noise from a single source. The evidence on
low-frequency noise is sufficiently strong to warrant immediate concern.
Noise Management
The Precautionary
Approach. In all cases, noise should be reduced
to the lowest level achievable in a particular situation. WHERE THERE IS A REASONABLE POSSIBILITY THAT
PUBLIC HEALTH WILL BE DAMAGED, ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH
WITHOUT AWAITING FULL SCIENTIFIC PROOF.
Noise Policy and Legislation
If governments implement only weak noise
policies and regulations, they will not be able to prevent a continuous
increase in noise pollution and associated adverse health effects. Failure to
enforce strong regulations is ineffective in combating noise as well.
Unsustainable Trends in Noise Pollution
Future Policy Planning
The expanding use of
increasingly powerful sources of noise. The
wider geographical dispersion of noise sources, together with greater
individual mobility and spread of leisure activities. The
increasing invasion of noise, particularly into the early morning, evenings and
weekends.
Effects on Physical Health
Exposure to noise may result in a variety
of biological responses. Most of the
information has been derived from short-term studies on animals and human
subjects, but it has been postulated that, if provoked continuously, such
responses would ultimately lead to the development of clinically recognisable
physical or mental disease in human beings. Numerous clinical symptoms and signs
have been attributed to noise exposure including nausea, headache,
irritability, instability, argumentativeness,
reduction in sexual drive, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, abnormal somnolence,
and loss of appetite (Jirkova & Kromarova, 1965).
Mental Health Effects
The evidence points to possible negative
effects of community noise on mental health,
manifested in the presence of medical drug use, psychiatric symptoms and mental
hospital admission rates.
LUTHER L. TERRY, M.D. (Former U.S. Surgeon
General).
Health and Noise
"Recent research has also indicated
that excessive noise exposure during pregnancy can influence early embryo
development. A very careful set of studies done at
Second, one most important human need is
for a desirable quality of life. And, third, "home" should be a place
for rest and quiet after the labour and cares of each day. Community noise
deprives most people of access to such a retreat. This is an unfortunate and
unnecessary by-product of our industrialized society which may in fact be
taking an unrecognised toll on human physical and mental health."
EFFECTS OF INTERRUPTED
AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SAFETY BUREAU
Fatigue - The Hidden Killer
"Driver fatigue, or tiredness,
contributes to many hundreds of deaths and injuries on
our roads every year. It has a role in up to 30 per cent of fatal crashes and
up to 15 percent of serious injuries needing to go to hospital.
Driver fatigue can be just as deadly as
drink driving or excessive speeding.
Fatigue is not just a problem for people
taking long trips. Any driver can suffer from fatigue, even on short
trips."