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This festive and holiday season, many of us will be on the road on a long journey home and whether you realise it or not, many will have had close shaves with danger. Based on past statistics, accidents resulting in injury and death are becoming the hallmark of Malaysian festive seasons and it's a frightening thought.

During the long holiday weekend, the unusual spike in road accidents will shock the nation and will be a guaranteed conversation subject for several months. Yet our holiday-intensive calendar prompts Malaysians to take road trips every time a long festive break comes along.

Escalated accidents during the holiday season happen for these reasons: Sleep deprivation, fatigue and the big rush.

These are classic features of a holiday season. We sleep less because we are socialising, we are more tired because we are entertaining and we're in a big hurry because there is so much to do in such a short time. This means we are sleep deprived before the journey begins, sleep deprived during the holiday and sleep deprived on the return journey. Some drivers are so tired they have no capacity to make any kind of rational judgment. Some are in such a rush that they are outright aggressive.

Family holidays are not always pleasant. Most families sleep in very cramped conditions at the family home because the entire extended clan is gathering. With tensions high during festive reunions, many will drive back to the city angry and hurt, and cannot concentrate on driving.

Drivers might also be on assorted medications, which affect alertness and anxiety levels especially allergy, flu and fever medications.

Ergonomics also kills. The cosseting, soporific comfort of modern cars has made it easier to relax at the wheel. Cars literally become a bed on wheels. Researchers studying road safety are saying that while there are interesting gadgets and gizmos to keep drivers awake, none are reliable and can even be distracting.

Studies on driving long distances have shown that:

		Driver sleepiness is thought to cause at least 10 per cent of all road accidents. In some countries, this figure is higher.
		Sleep-related accidents are more likely to result in serious injury or death than other road accidents because sleepy drivers do not brake to try to prevent an accident, thus making the impact worse.
		The "danger" time for falling asleep at the wheel is between 4am and 6am when a motorist is 13 times as likely to have a sleep-related accident as someone who is driving in the middle of the morning or early evening. Mid-afternoon (2pm-4pm) is also a danger "spike".
		The greatest incidence of sleep-related accidents occurs when the driver has been awake for more than 18 hours.
		Highway accidents, which might be caused by sleepiness, are frequently categorised under other headings such as "inattention" or "perceptual error" although fatigue may have caused the driver to make these mistakes in the first place. Fear of prosecution and difficulties with insurance claims may deter many motorists from admitting that.
		Some researchers claim that motorists can suffer from "highway hypnosis" - a trance-like state induced by the monotony of highways.
		Sleep apnea, a medical condition that can result in "micro-sleeps", is fairly common. Studies show that sufferers are seven times more likely to have a road accident than normal drivers.
		Many of these accidents (in Malaysia) involve motorcycles and cars.
		Most sleep-related accidents happen on highways and trunk roads, especially at bends or junctions.
		Falling asleep at the wheel is preceded by feelings of extreme sleepiness, which drivers are aware of, but often ignore.
		Men aged 18-30 are most at risk, and account for around 50 per cent of sleep-related accidents. The early morning victims are usually young men, the early afternoon culprits older men.

If you fit any or all the following descriptions, you are highly likely to be in an accident:

		Beating red lights, rushing through the yellow light.
		Driving through stop signs when there are apparently no other cars.
		Talking on the cell phone while driving.
		Eating and drinking with one hand while driving.
		Being oblivious to other drivers and pedestrians while searching for parking space.
		Getting frustrated while driving behind MPVs or other large, tall vehicles that obstruct your view.
		Driving carefully in police presence but not otherwise.
		Being oblivious to driving while engrossed with music and radio.
		Getting aggressive with loud music.
		Getting into confrontations- verbal arguments, hand gestures- because of your own driving or of others.
		A work-hard-play-hard lifestyle that leaves you sleepy behind the wheel.
		Talking, taking your eyes off the road when driving with passengers, especially with small children.
		Wearing slippers or platform shoes during your travel back home that might hamper your ability to brake in an emergency.
		Not wearing your prescription glasses if you are short or long-sighted or suffer from astigmism (blurred vision at night).
		Not filling up your gas tank until almost empty. Accidents have been known to happen to cars parked on the emergency lanes.

Thus...

Sleepiness or fatigue while driving is not something that we cannot control. We must learn to watch for signs and take proper rest when needed instead of forcing ourselves to stay awake. Remember, this is for the safety of your loved ones during the festive seasons.