Motorists 'need a break every 80 minutes'
Date: 17/03/2008 12:00:00
Car insurance holders might be interested to read that a new study has suggested drivers should take a break every 80 minutes when on the road.
Conducted by experts at the National Central University (NCU) in Jhongli, Taiwan, and published in Physiology & Behaviour, the research found that motorists' reaction times became longer after driving continuously for 80 minutes, New Scientist reports.
A total of 30 male motorists between the ages of 20 and 26 were tested in a driving simulator for a 90-minute journey, with their reaction times recorded every two kilometres.
At the 80-minute mark, reaction times were 0.3 seconds longer compared with the start of the journey - which would add eight metres to the driver's stopping distance if they were travelling at 100 kilometres an hour, according to Jiun-Ren Hwang of the NCU.
Last month, a Think! campaign in Leeds warned drivers that using a mobile phone while on the road could lead to longer reaction times and a greater risk of being involved in an accident, the Yorkshire Evening Post reports.