Bakers Seek to Drive Safe

Press Release
01/03/2003

Driver tiredness is to blame for one in five crashes on UK motorways - costing the lives of around 350 people every year.

That is the shocking statistic that has encouraged the Federation of Bakers (FoB) to hold its first ever Drive-Safe seminar. It will take place on Thursday 3 April, at the CBI in London.

The nature of the baking industry means that bakery delivery drivers are a high-risk group. They cover millions of miles each year between the 'danger' hours of 4.00-6.00am, when 11% of all motorway accidents take place. During this period, drivers are 13 times more likely to succumb to a sleep related accident than if they were undertaking the same journey in mid-afternoon.**

Run in conjunction with AWAKE, the consultancy of the renowned Loughborough Sleep Research Centre, the course will include sessions from sleep experts, Professor Jim Horne and Dr Louise Reyner, both from Loughborough University, as well as researchers and consultants working for AWAKE. Horne's previous experience includes investigating the Selby rail crash, whilst Reyner regularly consults for the Department of Transport.

They will cover topics including the particular dangers faced by the baking industry regarding driver hours and routes, short-term ways of avoiding tiredness and dispel myths surrounding driver fatigue. The seminar will be chaired by Kears' Managing Director, Viv Knight, and is open to anyone involved in the logistics industry.

AWAKE says: "Falling asleep at the wheel is still by far the biggest single cause of fatal road accidents in the UK. It is important for big business to be aware of the risks and the reasons for tiredness, all the way from lack of sleep, to physiological and psychological processes. There are simple ways that can be taken to save lives, and we are pleased that the Federation of Bakers are giving us the opportunity to share them with its members."

John Sanders, Federation of Bakers Employment Affairs Executive, adds: "Driver sleepiness is an issue which is yet to be fully explored, however, we do know it often has tragic consequences. We take our members' safety extremely seriously and want them to hear best practise with the ultimate goal of reducing the number of accidents on our roads."