Men are more than twice as likely to fall asleep at wheel while driving and almost half (45 per cent) admit to having experienced ‘warning nods’ while driving.

One in 14 drivers surveyed by safety charity Brake said they had actually fallen asleep when driving, while 45 per cent of men said they had continued to drive despite their head nodding through tiredness.

For women, the proportion that admitted driving while sleepy was 22 per cent.

Brake’s Julie Townsend said: “Brake urges all drivers to get a good night’s sleep, take regular breaks from driving every two hours and never to carry on driving when they are tired.

“Ultimately, it’s better to get home to your loved ones a bit later than never getting there at all.”

The Institute of Advanced Motorists’ director of policy and research, Neil Grieg, commented: “No one ever suddenly falls asleep at the wheel without some warning nods beforehand.

“Ignoring the signs can be potentially fatal as sleep-related crashes commonly involve leaving the road and hitting a solid object at high speeds.

“Nothing beats a good night’s sleep and proper breaks.”