Police are reminding drivers not to get behind the wheel when tired after an incident on the weekend

The man had worked a night shift and returned home at around 5am on August 6, where he stayed awake during the day.

Near 8pm, the driver set out to pick up a friend on Ben Martin Road, but fell asleep behind the wheel approaching the T-intersection on Old Wilbriggie Road and Ben Martin Road. He regained consciousness just before the turn, but his surprise led him to oversteer and slid the vehicle into the canal.

While the car sustained extensive damage and was predominantly submerged, the driver was unhurt and walked to his friend's house for assistance.

At 9am the next day, he contacted a towing company to retrieve the vehicle, along with police.

Police are taking the opportunity to remind drivers that fatigue can be just as dangerous on the road as speeding or drugs.

According to the Centre for Road Safety, between 2014 and 2018, more people died in fatigue related accidents than DUI incidents.

The centre also said that being awake for around 17 hours has a similar effect on performance as a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05.

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