One in five business drivers have admitted that they do not stop for a break when driving long distances, research suggests.

This is despite the Highway Code recommending that drivers take a 15-minute break every two hours.

Masternaut surveyed 2,000 UK employees for Brake’s Road Safety Week who drive as part of their job, to highlight potential risks for drivers travelling over long distances.

It found that 18% of respondents were failing to take sufficient rest, and some business drivers were taking extreme measures to stay alert when driving, with 7% slapping themselves in order to stay alert.

Almost a third (31%) would just listen to loud music and 2% would do maths out loud to keep refreshed.

More conventional methods of keeping alert whilst driving included winding down the window (50%), drinking strong coffee or tea (49%) and turning the temperature down (30%).

Steve Towe, chief commercial officer and UK managing director of Masternaut, said: “It’s vitally important that drivers are alert at all times and get home safely and employers play a role from a duty of care perspective to ensure that this happens.

“However, the issue many fleet managers and HR departments find themselves facing is how to effectively monitor their mobile workforce, in some cases across multiple territories with different legislative requirements.”

He continued: “Telematics can provide the answer, giving the means and the tools to make sure that drivers are taking the necessary precautions to ensure they aren’t being a danger to themselves or other road users.

“In real world scenarios, telematics has helped to reduce collisions and improve driver safety. For example, Masternaut’s telematics helped to cut G4S’s accident rate by 20% in a single year, with the data powering its driver training policy.

“Telematics can become a real peace of mind tool for fleet managers and HR departments, reducing collisions, improving driver behaviour and driver safety.”

Masternaut Connect is a next-generation telematics system from Masternaut. Data is sent wirelessly over the air and information is provided in real-time, meaning fleet managers have a complete view of the fleet at any given time. This allows fleet managers and the HR department to accurately monitor their staff across multiple countries in real time, ensuring they are complying with rules concerning driver hours and break periods.

Masternaut Connect also provides the data for in-depth driver training programmes, improving driver safety, and reducing collisions.