Stories from the road
A taxi driver's microsleep on the A23
A23, Merstham, Surrey, United Kingdom
Established in courtWhat happened
Shortly before 6.30am on 17 August 2025, a taxi left the A23 at Merstham, Surrey, and crossed into a layby. It struck a man who had parked there to take a break and was getting back into his car. He died at the scene.
Detectives examined footage from a camera inside the taxi and data from the driver's employers. According to the reporting of the case, the driver had spent around 53 hours driving over the three days before the crash, his longest rest in that time was seven hours, and he had worked for about 12 hours with only minor breaks immediately beforehand. The interior footage showed him experiencing microsleeps, episodes of sleep lasting a few seconds.
The driver pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. In August 2026 he was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court to six years in prison and disqualified from driving for eight years.
What the evidence says about fatigue
The driver pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Police reported that footage from inside the car showed him experiencing microsleeps, after around 53 hours of driving in three days.
“This case sadly highlights the very real dangers of driving while fatigued.”
Why it matters
Fatigue builds up over days of long shifts, not only over a single long drive. A microsleep lasts only seconds, which is long enough for a car to leave its lane.
Sources
- TaxiPoint (opens in a new tab)Taxi driver drove 53 hours in three days before deadly microsleep crash that killed man in A23 layby · 1 September 2026
- Sunrise Radio (opens in a new tab)Taxi driver jailed after falling asleep at wheel and causing fatal A23 collision · 2 September 2026
This summary was written by Drowzy from the reports listed above. Please read the original reporting for full details. If anything here is inaccurate, let us know so we can correct it.