DRIVER SLEEPINESS

Early day motion 310, tabled 8 February 2001 by David Taylor (Labour/Co-operative). Signed by 71 members.

That this House recognises that driver sleepiness accounts for 10 to 20 per cent. of all road accidents and one in five of the accidents on motorways and trunk roads; notes that nearly 45,000 Britons die or are seriously injured every year on roads, with sleepy drivers thought to be a major cause; acknowledges that sleep related crashes are easily preventable; welcomes research from the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre on driver sleepiness that also points to the usefulness of functional energy drinks; welcomes the 'THINK!' initiatives already undertaken by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to maintain its momentum in promoting awareness of driver sleepiness and to re-enforce this message with an education campaign targeted particularly towards the high risk group - young male drivers aged under 30 years.

Signatures by party: Labour 54, Liberal Democrat 12, Labour/Co-operative 3, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.