Albany woman gives candid account of falling asleep at the wheel

[Nergal]

 

THE potentially devastating consequences of driving while fatigued have been highlighted in a video released by the police - to reinforce the importance of safety on WA's roads.

While driving to Albany from Perth last Sunday, 68-year-old Gail Linton momentarily fell asleep at the wheel causing her Mazda 6 to drift across lanes, narrowly missing a tree and rolling twice.

Her car ended on its roof, leaving her with three fractures in her pelvis, a broken arm and a break to her right index finger.

It was a trip she does regularly. It was 11.50am and Ms Linton had taken two rest breaks that morning.

But as the dashcam footage above shows, it clearly wasn't enough for the Albany local who was on the home stretch of her trip when she veered off Albany Highway near Tenterden.

Ms Linton spoke candidly about the accident in a bid to get others to recognise the dangers of driving while tired.

"I was driving, I thought coherently," she said.

"I always stop at the absolute minimum at Williams, the half way point, and often I even stop at the Bannister, just depending on if you need a break.

"I was only out for a couple of seconds that I know of, but you just don't know how quickly … you can lose control in just that couple of seconds."

The 68-year-old accepts that she will face a fine and a loss of points at a minimum, but said her focus was on using the experience to prevent it happening on the roads again.

Her message to other drivers?