 Drivers should stop every two hours |
Motorists have been accused of putting lives in danger by not taking enough breaks during long trips. A study of 1,000 drivers found half of them regularly travelled for at least two hours on the motorway without a break.
A quarter drove for more than four hours without stopping, it found.
The research found women stopped more frequently than men and company car drivers carried on for longer than private car owners.
The survey for the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and the Auto Express magazine found drivers with new cars, coupes and convertibles were also more likely to plough on, along with younger drivers in the 25-34 age group.
Drivers should take a 15-minute break every two hours on a long journey, according to Department of Transport advice.
 |  They see the journey as something of an inconvenience. We need to change that  |
More than a fifth of motorway crashes are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel, while up to 10% of the UK's 23,000 annual collisions are linked to fatigue, it said.
"Women were much better at planning their journeys and building in a break to stop off, have a sandwich, walk around and get refreshed rather than just driving through to the end of the journey," said RAC Foundation executive director Edmund King.
"Many people just see the car as a means of getting from A to B. They want to get from A to B as fast as possible. They see the journey as something of an inconvenience.
"We need to change that. We need to get people to think about the journey in advance.
"Plan to stop off in a town or village where they haven't been before and plan it around a meal."
Auto Express magazine editor in chief David Johns called for more rest areas on motorways.
He said people should not have to pay service station prices for a coffee and more picnic areas, such as in France, would encourage drivers to stop.
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