A coach that crashed killing six passengers highlights the need for action on driver fatigue, transport union TGWU has said.

The Aylesbury coroner said that the accident on the M25 in November 2002 happened because the coach driver was 'extremely tired' and had been 'nodding off' just before the coach drifted off the main carriageway and careered down a steep embankment. Six people died in the crash and 37 were injured. Graham Stevenson, TGWU national organiser for transport, said: "This is a particularly tragic case which has demonstrated the effects of driver fatigue. Our sympathies go to all the families of those who died. The TGWU has called for action on driver hours for a long time. If some good can come from this accident it must be that there is robust action to ensure drivers do get quality rest time away from their vehicles, that it is properly monitored and enforced by all employers and that we get action on driver hours sooner rather than later".

In a separate incident, delivery company boss Una Johnson was fined in December 2002 after an overworked and exhausted teenage driver was killed after falling asleep at the wheel.
John Haywood the Guild Founder said "We are supporting the Unions on this issue. Many security companies employee keyholding or mobile supervision teams who are on the road for 12 hours or more. Some drivers have to go without proper rest breaks due to their heavy work load and we will be shortly introducing our own Code of Practice to govern the length of time spent behind the wheel in order to reduce driver fatigue".