Column: We really need to take time in our lives to get more rest before we hit the road

The gentle road hum and the relaxing scenery tempts you into a sweet slumber, which is not what you need when you’re going 70mph.

Tired driving is a serious issue that leads to accidents. In many ways it’s harder to combat than drink driving. To avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, you simply have to not drink.

To avoid tired driving you have to be well rested, which can be hard to achieve in our busy, pressured lives.

In Australia, they have just introduced a new plan to solve this problem. A stretch of particularly dull highway now has road signs that ask trivia questions. A few kilometres down the road there’s another sign that tells you the answer.

The theory is that such an interesting question will keep you going, pushed on by the desire to find out the answer. It’s a cute idea, but I don’t think there will be anyone who will drift off if they already know the answer.

One of the signs says: “What is a monotreme?” Down the road you read: “It’s a mammal that lays eggs.”

We have something similar over here. You’ll be driving down the road, see an empty red triangle sign and spend the next few miles trying to remember what that was in the Highway Code.

Another way to look at it is to say they have tried to solve the problem of sleepy drivers by finding a way to distract them. Now they’ll have to get their heads together to solve the problem of distracted drivers.

It’s a pub quiz at speed so there is also a risk that someone will try to cheat by Googling for the answer. That’s bad during a pub quiz but criminal while driving.

I don’t think this is based on my research that proves trivia questions aid alertness. Every afternoon there will be thousands of OAPs that nod off in front of The Tipping Point.

Our version could swap trivia questions for GCSE ones. It might not keep as many people alert but it could help to make up for the failing school system.

While I mock it for being a slightly pointless scheme I think it’s great that they’re doing something about it. We have overhead matrix signs that say, “Don’t Drive Tired,” which only alert people will notice.

The solution is clear. We need to take time in our lives to get more rest. Put that on your road signs.

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