英400万司机疲劳驾驶 开车常打盹

More than four million motorists have nodded off at the wheel in the past year, an alarming survey reveals today. 英国在今天发布了一项极具警示性的调查报告，称在过去的2010年中，全英有超过400万名驾驶员在开车的途中居然打了盹。

One in eight of the nation’s 33million drivers has ‘head nodded’ for between two and 30 seconds – dubbed a ‘microsleep’ by experts – often without even realising they have been asleep.

这也就是意味着全英过3300万驾驶员中，每八人中就有一个人在驾车时，打盹的时间达到了两秒到三十秒，专家们将之称为“微睡眠”，驾驶员通常还没有意识到自己已经睡着了。

And nearly a third (29 per cent) of drivers have continued their journey, ignoring the first tell-tale signs of drowsiness.

近三人之一（百分之二十九）的出现这种情况的司机会完全忽视这种嗜睡症所显现出的首个迹象，并且会继续驾驶。

If you are overweight, young and male, or drive commercially for a living, you are particularly at risk, says the report by road safety charity Brake and weight management programme Cambridge Weight Plan.

英国剑桥大学的体重管理计划组合安全道路慈善机构称，体重超标，并且以驾驶车辆为生的话的年轻男性特别容易出现以上的行车危险。

The poll of 1,000 drivers also showed that a quarter admitted starting journeys when already feeling tired.

这项涉及了1000名驾驶员的调查还表明，有百分之二十五的人承认即使已经感到了疲倦，但还是会勉强上路。

And nearly nine out of ten (86 per cent) were failing to follow advice to stop somewhere safe for a nap when getting tired at the wheel.

有近九成的人表示，在驾车犯困时没有能遵循安全指引——将车停在某处并稍事休整。

One in seven reported suffering from a health condition such as sleep apnoea that makes them tired during the day.

有七分之一的驾驶员患有不利于驾车的健康问题，比如说睡眠呼吸暂停症，它会使人整天感到非常疲乏。

Sleep apnoea can cause daytime sleepiness, and in some cases can cause the sufferer to fall asleep without warning.

睡眠呼吸暂停症是由于白天嗜睡所引起的，并且可能会导致在某些完全没有意识到的情况下睡着。

Tired drivers cause one in five fatal crashes on motorways, experts estimate.

专家估计，高速路上所发生了严重车祸中有五分之一是因为司机的疲倦所造成的。

Crashes caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel tend to be high-speed ones, as they do not brake before crashing, increasing the risk of death or serious injury.

由于司机在方向盘上打盹往往会造成高速行驶引发车祸，因为在发生碰撞之前司机们还来不及踩刹车，这也增加了车祸死亡或者严重伤害的几率。

Julie Townsend, of Brake, said: ‘Tiredness at the wheel kills. Driving a vehicle is a huge responsibility that must be taken seriously. It’s a matter of life and death.’

相关机构的人士表示：“疲劳驾驶是公路杀手，驾驶交通工具时肩负着巨大的责任，必须认真对待，这是一个生死攸关的问题。”