How to spot and beat driver fatigue

What is driver fatigue?

Driver fatigue occurs when someone is mentally or physically exhausted while driving. When fatigue sets in, it can impair your ability to operate the vehicle safely.

While you’re driving, your full attention should be on the road. But if you’re fatigued, you’re naturally going to be less alert. Most people underestimate how much just one bad night’s sleep affects their driving.

In fact, 17 hours without sleep impairs your driving to the same degree as someone with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05, which is the starting “warn range” in most provinces. At 24 hours of wakefulness, it’s equivalent to a BAC of 0.10, which is legally drunk.³

Fatigue generally falls into one of two categories:

• Acute fatigue, which arises from short-term sleep deprivation or periods of intense physical or mental effort. It typically subsides once you’ve rested and hydrated properly.
• Chronic fatigue, which is a persistent state of tiredness that isn’t alleviated by rest.

Driving with chronic fatigue is dangerous, but you also face a higher risk of crashing if you suffer from acute fatigue. Excessive drowsiness can lead to “microsleeps” — brief, involuntary episodes of sleep that can last up to 30 seconds.⁴ At highway speed of 100 km/h, a two- or three-second lapse in attention means you’ve travelled 55 to 83 metres — long enough for you to entirely miss hazards, such as a stalled car, a pothole, or a staged collision happening in front of you.

Causes of fatigue

There are numerous factors that create fatigue, including:

• Poor sleep quality or quantity. Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep per night.⁵ Sleeping fewer hours regularly, or even occasionally, can lead to sleep debt — a deficit of sleep that accumulates over time. Sleep deprivation progressively impairs one’s cognitive functions.⁶ A recent study found that 41% of Canadians live with sleep debt.⁷
• Sleep disorders. Insomnia and sleep apnea are common disorders affecting many people. They cause interruptions throughout the night and can prevent you from getting restorative sleep, leaving you drowsy the next day. Chronic cases have also been linked to poor driving performance.⁸
• Long or irregular work hours. These are among the primary work-related causes of fatigue. For example, working at night is generally taxing on the body because it conflicts with one’s natural circadian rhythm. Working more than a typical 40-hour workweek or frequently rotating shifts can also compound fatigue. These work schedules can make it difficult to stay fully alert at all times, including while on the road.
• Medication. Medication is easy to overlook as a driving risk, but it contributes to many collisions. Antihistamines, muscle relaxers, and some opioid-based medications are all known to cause drowsiness and dizziness. Of course, the responses vary from person to person, but they’re common for many users.
• Diet. What and when you eat can also lead to fatigue. Think about the post-meal energy slump you get after consuming a carbohydrate-rich meal — you’ve certainly felt it. Even after a heavy meal, you’ll quickly realize how draining it is to drive in that sluggish, unfocused state. Prolonged periods without food can also produce similar effects.
• Alcohol, drugs, and other substances. The dangers of these substances are widely known, including their role in impairing driving. Beyond slowing reaction times and judgment, they increase the risk of dozing off at the wheel. Roughly 30% to 50% of all fatal road crashes in Canada involve a driver who consumed alcohol, drugs, or both.⁹
• Road conditions. Long, monotonous drives can be mentally draining. Hours of traveling on the same stretch of road, with little traffic, few turns, and little variation in scenery, can cause your attention to drift. When your mind isn’t being actively engaged, it’s easier to become fatigued.
• Time of day. Most people experience temporary increases in sleepiness, with decreased energy, lower focus, and poorer performance during the mid-afternoon.

Age is another associated factor. In one study, researchers examined the behaviours that elevate crash risk across different driver age groups, including driving while fatigued. The data below captures the surveyed drivers’ self-reported behaviour in Canada.

Self-admitted behavior	Age	Canada
Admitted to struggling to keep their eyes open while driving	18-21	60.4%
	35-54	35.5%
	64+	31.9%
Believe it’s acceptable to drive when too sleepy to keep their eyes open	18-21	14.4%
	35-54	1.2%
	64+	0.0%
Believe driver fatigue frequently causes crashes	18-21	63.5%
	35-54	70.0%
	64+	79.5%

Source

Evidently, young drivers report the highest rates of driving while fatigued — and, perhaps more concerningly, are the most likely to see nothing wrong with it. Older drivers report fewer instances of fatigued driving, and almost none consider it acceptable behaviour.

Older drivers are also the most aware of fatigue as a serious crash risk, suggesting that experienced drivers are generally likelier to make more cautious driving decisions.

Related articles

• Safe driving guide: 11 tips to avoid accidents on the road
• Photo radar in Quebec
• Distracted driving: dangers and penalties

Signs of driver fatigue

Driving while fatigued puts both you and everyone around you at risk. That’s why it pays to recognize the warning signs. Here’s what to watch for:

Physical signs

• You’re yawning frequently or uncontrollably
• You’re having difficulty keeping your eyes open, or blinking more frequently than usual
• Your head is nodding or drooping involuntarily
• Your eyes are sore or tired, or your vision is starting to blur
• You’re experiencing frequent microsleeps

Cognitive signs

• You’re having difficulty concentrating on the road
• You’re taking longer than normal to process and respond to hazards
• You’re daydreaming or zoning out from the drive
• You’ve suddenly realized you missed a road sign, highway exit, or a familiar turn
• You have little or no recollection of the last stretch of road you drove
• You’re misinterpreting objects or movement on the road, or seeing things that aren’t there

Behavioural signs

• You’re unintentionally swerving in your lane, or between lanes
• You’re unintentionally speeding up or slowing down
• You’re making driving errors you wouldn’t normally make, such as misjudging gaps in traffic
• You’re feeling unusually irritable, restless, or impatient while driving

8 tips for managing driver fatigue

If you’re tired to begin with, the safest decision is obvious: don’t drive. Even if you feel fatigue setting in mid-drive, don’t try to push through it — pull over somewhere safe and rest. Below are some measures you should keep in mind to avoid compromising your safety.

Consider the following measures before a trip:

1. Get a full night’s sleep before any long or demanding drive. Sleep deprivation can impair concentration, decision-making, and reaction time. Starting a trip well-rested helps ensure you remain attentive throughout the drive — or at the very least, longer than if you were running on little sleep.
2. Avoid driving during your normal sleeping hours. During this window, alertness declines and the risk of fatigue-related errors increases. Plan your trips for times when you’d normally be awake.
3. Never drive after consuming alcohol, cannabis, or other drugs. Not only do they impair your judgment, slow your reaction time, and cause drowsiness, but they also endanger your life and the lives of others in your car. Not to mention, impaired driving is illegal.
4. Avoid visually fatiguing activities. In the hours leading up to a road trip, avoid anything that requires intense eye concentration. Eye fatigue can result from things like reading, using devices in the dark, sitting in front of a fan, and more.¹⁰ Driving at night or under glaring sun is also eye-straining, so make sure you’re not irritating them beforehand, and wear sunglasses on bright days.
5. Check your medications. If you’ve been prescribed anything with sedative effects, be mindful of how it affects you and whether it’ll interfere with your ability to drive safely. Check the labels for other possible side effects. You may want to consult a health professional if you’ve recently started something new.
6. Use caffeine sparingly. Caffeinated beverages will perk you up, especially if you’re already tired. Be cautious, though. The effects of caffeine can differ from person to person and based on how much and when it’s consumed — have too much late in the day, and you may have trouble when it’s time to sleep. Caffeine has been shown to reduce sleepiness and improve driving performance, but it shouldn’t be considered a substitute for getting the right amount of sleep.¹¹
7. Plan a route and trip you can handle. Before you set off, map out the path you’ll be taking and identify the rest areas along the way. Rest stops are typically situated alongside fuel stations and may contain restaurants, shops, and other facilities. Even if your route has no official stops, it’s still beneficial to pull over periodically anyway. If another licensed driver is travelling with you, consider taking turns operating the vehicle. This way, each driver gets to recharge before clocking their next stretch of miles.

If you sense drowsiness developing while driving:

1. Pull over and rest. It’s safest to do so the moment you feel drowsy. For those long, boring drives, make it a habit to stop every two hours or so. While you’re at it, step out of the car, stretch, and take in some fresh air. Remember, no amount of caffeine, loud music, or willpower can override exhaustion, especially if your body’s fighting to stay awake. If a break isn’t enough, hand the wheel to someone else. Or, call a taxi or someone you trust to pick you up, and return for your car once you’re properly rested — assuming it’s parked somewhere safe and legal, of course.

Commonly asked questions

When are fatigue-related accidents most likely to occur?

Generally, fatigue-related crashes can happen at any time of day. However, they’re most common at night, especially the late-night to early-morning hours. During these times, the body is programmed to be asleep, so there’s a serious risk of fatigue impairing the ability to drive safely.

The mid-afternoon is another common window for such accidents, due to the energy dip many people experience then.

Even a well-rested driver can experience mild symptoms of fatigue during a late-night drive home or even an afternoon commute. If someone’s already sleep-deprived, however, the risk of a fatigue-related crash increases significantly — regardless of the time of day.

Are there any fatigued driving laws in Canada?

No. Canada doesn’t have any standalone fatigued driving laws, at least not in the way it has laws against impaired driving, distracted driving, or other driving-related offences. There’s just no way for law enforcement to physically measure fatigue (unlike alcohol), especially after a car accident.

If you’re tired, you may make mistakes. If you do something like run a red light or drift into oncoming lanes, an officer can pull you over and ticket you for careless or dangerous driving. In Ontario and many other provinces, these offences can also result in demerit points.

How does car insurance deal with driver fatigue?

Car insurance doesn’t treat fatigue as its own category. If you fall asleep at the wheel and crash, your claim gets handled like any other at-fault accident. If it’s determined that you were at fault, you’d still rely on collision coverage for your car’s repairs.

How the police handle it is a separate matter, but it can affect your insurance too. While there’s no ticket for being tired specifically, if your fatigue led you to speed or drive dangerously, you could be charged and convicted of such offences. This can affect your premiums, and sometimes even your eligibility for insurance coverage.

Either way, an at-fault accident will likely raise your premiums at renewal, no matter what behaviour caused it.

Are driver monitoring systems effective at preventing fatigue-related crashes?

Yes, to an extent.

Driver monitoring systems (DMS) are designed to alert drivers when they detect potential drowsiness or inattention. When this happens, it’ll typically issue visual or audible alerts to encourage the driver to refocus on the road — or pull over and rest.

Many newer vehicles use driver-facing cameras to monitor eye and head movement for signs of fatigue. Some systems also evaluate driving behaviour, such as lane positioning or steering inputs. Some can also intervene by applying the brakes if the driver doesn’t respond to the initial alerts.¹²

Sources

1. Safety Canada. “Driver fatigue: falling asleep at the wheel.” Canada Safety Council, April 2009, https://canadasafetycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/newsletter-apr-2009.pdf.
2. Transport Canada. “Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics: 2023.” tc.canada.ca, https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/statistics-data/canadian-motor-vehicle-traffic-collision-statistics/2023/canadian-motor-vehicle-traffic-collision-statistics-2023. Accessed 21 July 2026.
3. Department of Justice Canada. “Impaired driving laws.” justice.gc.ca, 3 Mar. 2022, https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/sidl-rlcfa/.
4. Diagnostic Classification Steering Committee. “The international classification of sleep disorders, revised.” American Academy of Sleep Medicine, https://www.drawbridgedds.com/PM_PDF/The_International_Classification_of_Sleep_Disorders.pdf. Accessed 21 July 2026.
5. National Sleep Foundation. “How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?” thensf.org, 8 June 2026, https://www.thensf.org/how-many-hours-of-sleep-do-you-really-need/.
6. Newsom, Rob. “Sleep Debt: The Hidden Cost of Insufficient Rest.” Sleep Foundation, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/sleep-debt-and-catch-up-sleep. Accessed 21 July 2026.
7. Eisai Limited. “Running on Empty: 41% of Canadians in “Sleep Debt,” 1 in 5 Admit Driving Despite Feeling Unsafe After Daylight Saving Time.” PR Newswire, 3 March 2026, https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/running-on-empty-41-of-canadians-in-sleep-debt-1-in-5-admit-driving-despite-feeling-unsafe-after-daylight-saving-time-876163555.html.
8. Xu, Lin, et al. “Fatigue performance in patients with chronic insomnia.” Frontiers in Neuroscience, 11 November 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9691769/pdf/fnins-16-1043262.pdf.
9. Health Canada. “Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs.” canada.ca, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/talking-about-drugs/driving-impaired-drug.html. Accessed 22 July 2026.
10. Wylee, Oscar. “Eye Strain Headache: Definition, Treatment, Prevention, and Diagnosis.” oscarwylee.ca, 24 September 2024, https://oscarwylee.ca/glasses/eye/strain.
11. Mets, M. A. J., et al. “Effects of coffee on driving performance during prolonged simulated highway driving.” Psychopharmacology, 8 February 2012, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3382640/pdf/213_2012_Article_2647.pdf.
12. Transport Canada. “Driver monitoring.” tc.canada.ca, https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/driver-assistance-technologies/other-driver-assistance-systems/driver-monitoring. Accessed 22 July 2026.

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