16 February 2011

Dangerous driving practices. Fatigue on the roads.

| sdfx
Join the conversation
17

I have a young close relative who I know for a fact drives on the roads while fatigued. This might be due to doing an all nighter for school or just irregular sleeping patterns. Not only is this a great concern for mentioned relative but also the public, and I’ve mentioned time after time the dangers of what he’s doing but it hasn’t gotten through to him one bit. In my mind it’s a matter of “when” instead of “if”, and it’s definitely putting the public in danger so I need to take action.

Anyone have any ideas on how I might tackle this? I’m keen on reporting this to the police but I’m not sure how they would enforce this. I think if he was to be stopped by police and given a stern warning (without the knowledge that I dobbed him in), there is a chance he will halt such practices. Do you think this is possible to arrange? Should I go to a police station and explain the situation?

Thanks

Join the conversation

17
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Cancel his World of Warcraft account.

ConanOfCooma said :

Wow, lots of unemployed people commenting on this post.

You do a valid day of work/study, and you’re f***ing tired. You can’t sleep the night before? You still need to work.

“Uh, sorry boss, I’m fatigued, and I can’t get to work today. No, I can’t get a Docs Cert, as I can’t drive there. Fatigue, y’know?”

Rather than discuss the fatigue issue with your “close” relative, why don’t you discuss the fact that you are such a relational traitor that you are prepared to call the police over them driving around after studying?

Better yet, why don’t you explain the pro’s of a Nanny State, and how you think that your Big Brother antics are going to make them a better, more secure, person?

Weak nonsensical arguments. I’m looking out for the health and safety of said relative and the public, I don’t see how that makes me a traitor. If I was to see anyone (including “close” relatives) drink driving after a night out I would report it and the police can follow up if they see fit. Fatigue can be compared to drink driving the only problem here is enforcement, no such device that can measure fatigue.

Big brother antics? I’m not applying this to everyone just one teenager, who clearly isn’t mature enough yet. And it’s not like what’s keeping him up is all the “work” and “studying” he needs to do, it’s him staying up all night on the internet doing god knows what, maybe creating troll posts like yourself.

Nothing worse than driving long distance if your tired, did it once, and was scary, I always try to be rested before I embark on a long trip.

If I can’t sleep much the night before I will sleep in, I’m in no hurry.

Way to solve a problem Conan @ #11. Try using your arguements in the context of defending a charge relevant to killing someone after falling asleep at the wheel and crashing – sounds a bit weak eh? SDFX is showing genuine concern for the safety of their relative in asking for help, not betraying them as you suggest. BTW, jobs are also harder to come by to people convicted of criminal offences. In a way, SDFX is looking out for you and your family whenever you’re on the road, perhaps you should be shifting your focus to what’s important to you, and not who’s employed.

Nanny states only exist because people need their hands held when they can’t ‘cross the road’ on their own. Sometimes people need to be big brothers because the people they care for behave like little brothers and lack the common sense required for their own good. It is up to us as a community to support them for the good of everyone, including you.

JustThinking said :

FioBla said :

Crimestoppers? It is anonymous. http://www.crimestoppers.com.au

hahaha I hope bananas in pyjamas from AFP allows this.

BUT do you really think anything is anonymous??? (esp from crime stoppers)
I have been at “:said said place” when calls for crimestoppers have come in and callers “names and details” were plastered on the ID screen.
Anonymous in the way “”they might not tell anyone it was you who called”” but not anonymous in the way they “”will hassle you or subpoena you to turn up for court if the have to””

Ring from a payphone or email from a library computer or something. Anonymous isn’t as anonymous as you think it is.

This site isn’t anonymous,,,,The AFP sit in here and watch all the bogan gun size comments….
That’s why I know it is all bogan gun shit,,,,,cause if it wasn’t the AFP would have had yas for a bogan guns by now…..

Another gem from Riotact’s newest nutjob.

JustThinking7:33 pm 16 Feb 11

FioBla said :

Crimestoppers? It is anonymous. http://www.crimestoppers.com.au

hahaha I hope bananas in pyjamas from AFP allows this.

BUT do you really think anything is anonymous??? (esp from crime stoppers)
I have been at “:said said place” when calls for crimestoppers have come in and callers “names and details” were plastered on the ID screen.
Anonymous in the way “”they might not tell anyone it was you who called”” but not anonymous in the way they “”will hassle you or subpoena you to turn up for court if the have to””

Ring from a payphone or email from a library computer or something. Anonymous isn’t as anonymous as you think it is.

This site isn’t anonymous,,,,The AFP sit in here and watch all the bogan gun size comments….
That’s why I know it is all bogan gun shit,,,,,cause if it wasn’t the AFP would have had yas for a bogan guns by now…..

ConanOfCooma7:05 pm 16 Feb 11

Wow, lots of unemployed people commenting on this post.

You do a valid day of work/study, and you’re f***ing tired. You can’t sleep the night before? You still need to work.

“Uh, sorry boss, I’m fatigued, and I can’t get to work today. No, I can’t get a Docs Cert, as I can’t drive there. Fatigue, y’know?”

Rather than discuss the fatigue issue with your “close” relative, why don’t you discuss the fact that you are such a relational traitor that you are prepared to call the police over them driving around after studying?

Better yet, why don’t you explain the pro’s of a Nanny State, and how you think that your Big Brother antics are going to make them a better, more secure, person?

JustThinking6:40 pm 16 Feb 11

Fatigue is such a sneaky thing.
I remember driving years ago, feeling bored,,,then opening my eyes as my car was thumping and bumping down a gully. I never felt tired and didn’t think I was tired. One minute I was bopping to the music and the next trying to gain control of my car.
When I stopped I could not even see the last spot I remembered seeing, so no idea how long I had dozed off for. Scared me real good!
Apart from you warning and police warning etc there isn’t much you can do. There is NO dozalyzer so even if police pull him up they cannot do much. What are they going to say? Sir how long have you been driving right now? and he says “bout 20 minutes”

Feel for your situation. Maybe some vids etc showing others that crashed from fatigue might help, but as I said, it is a sneaky thing. He probably doesn’t think he is fatigued..
When my sons went on thier first ‘road trip’ I made them stop at every 2nd McDonalds for coffee and a walk ( and call me.) Now they are just in the habit. Maybe changing his habit might help?

I don’t think getting the police involved will change much. Have you spoken to the persons parents? They might be able to take the keys off them. If you’re very concerned and if it’s possible, perhaps offer to pay for the bus (or if too late a taxi), or even offer to pick them up.

Sounds like it’s education that is needed. But we also need to understand saying you shouldn’t drive while fatigued might not mean much when they’re on one side of Canberra and need to get to the other.

Your relative is behaving in a way that is dangerous to himself and all other road users and he needs to understand the consequences of his actions inevitably going wrong. A friend I went through school with was buried last October after he crashed a vehicle because he fell asleep. He was doing ‘the right thing’ helping his ex move house but pushed himself too far.

It is a good thing you feel the need to take action. Unfortunately, Police can only ‘enforce’ fatigue following a collision, particularly where he kills or seriously injures someone else which seems to be shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Prevention is always better, and I would think education is the answer. I don’t think a ‘stern talking to’ at the road side is the answer though. For starters, you should report him and he should know Police are aware of his driving habits. Perhaps Traffic Police could also help you with his education. It can’t hurt to ask for help.

Holden Caulfield3:48 pm 16 Feb 11

Sgt.Bungers said :

Driving whilst tired is a very real danger. Tired drivers cause more fatal crashes than those who exceed the speed limit.

No, this is not possible. Speed is the only reason people die on our roads. Pretty sure I read that somewhere.

Good luck to the OP in dealing with a tricky problem. Trouble is, you’re right to discuss it, but you need to be careful not to be seen as nagging as that’s really unlikely to change the behaviour of a young adult male, haha.

el_presidente said :

Are you serious? My mate Dave took 24 in one night and the next day he was really buzzing, had loads of energy – drove the bus better than ever.

…too soon?

‘Dangerous’ Dave? I know him too. Never too soon.

el_presidente3:04 pm 16 Feb 11

Are you serious? My mate Dave took 24 in one night and the next day he was really buzzing, had loads of energy – drove the bus better than ever.

…too soon?

Sgt.Bungers said :

If the above, very real scenarios, don’t scare him, then do him and all of us a favour and take his keys off him.

I have brought up these scenarios but to no avail. It’s a classic case of attempting to breaking through the invincible mentality that teenage guys have. Can’t take his keys away from him, but I have borrowed them temporarily whilst he’s asleep and taken out the ignition fuse which led him to believe the car was broken (not the sharpest tool in the shed as you can see) and I offered to give him a lift. I can’t keep doing this all the time.

Driving whilst tired is a very real danger. Tired drivers cause more fatal crashes than those who exceed the speed limit.

Unfortunately fatuige is relatively undetectable… the only thing that’s going to stop him is either a tree, a steering wheel through his face, a bit of armco barrier through a lung, or crashing head on into a car with a family coming the other way.

Back when I was an ambo, I remember picking up a bloke from the local airport who had just been flown back from Sydney after spending 4 weeks being put back together. He’d pulled an all nighter, fell asleep crashed into a tree at 100km/h, 20km from home.

Two broken legs, broken ankles, broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken arm.

He was lucky, and was likely to be able to walk again within 12 months, and didn’t take anyone else out with his stupidity. Chances are though, that he’ll be effected for the rest of his life, and was going to have to have someone wiping for him for some time.

If your mate doesn’t reconsider, it’s only a matter of time before he’s in the same situation… or worse… in the back of an ambulance with an ambo trying to hold his split skull in one piece, a second car on fire not far up the road with a deceased family in it.

If he comes back with “I don’t have any other choice than to drive when I do” or something along those lines… suggest to him that he needs to change his work/study balance… get things done at school earlier so he’s not pulling all nighters to finish projects.

If the above, very real scenarios, don’t scare him, then do him and all of us a favour and take his keys off him.

Sdfx, it’s a pity they won’t listen to you – some people just can’t be told. Fingers crossed their wake up call is minor in nature and doesn’t involve a serious prang.

You can contact the Traffic branch via the ACT Police website. I don’t know whether they’ll be able to help you, but they’re probably best placed to give advice.

http://www.police.act.gov.au/roads-and-traffic.aspx

You could also try contacting the school and asking them to get in touch with the Police crime prevention people – they towed around a car from a fatal collision and did presentations at High Schools and Colleges. Maybe something like that would help? Worth a try at least.

Crimestoppers? It is anonymous. http://www.crimestoppers.com.au

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.