Warning about driver fatigue over bank holiday weekend

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána today jointly launched the August Bank Holiday Road Safety Campaign, as road fatality figures show that over the past five years (2010 to 2014), 12 people have been killed and 27 people have been seriously injured on Irish roads over this period.  
The focus of this year’s campaign is driver fatigue and to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while tired, the RSA will be screening a new TV ad campaign ‘Signs’ in the lead-up to the bank holiday weekend.
It is estimated that driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as 1 in 5 driver deaths in Ireland every year. Furthermore, tiredness-related collisions are three times more likely to be fatal or result in a serious injury because of the high impact speed and lack of avoiding action. A survey of drivers’ attitudes to driver fatigue conducted by the RSA in 2014 revealed that over 1 in 10 motorists have fallen asleep at the wheel. The survey also found that motorists who drive as part of their work, and motorists who admit to driving after taking any amount of alcohol, had a higher than average incidence of falling asleep at the wheel (almost 1 in 5 fell asleep at the wheel).  
The RSA has produced a 40 second TV ad which provides drivers with advice on what to do if they feel sleepy while driving. If a driver fights sleep while driving, it’s the same as driving while over the drink drive limit. The message behind the ad is to recognise the signs that you are too tired to continue driving, and then Stop, Sip, Sleep – Stop the car in a safe place, Sip a caffeine drink, and Sleep for 15-20 minutes. This should enable you to continue driving for another hour or so.
Chief Superintendent Mark Curran, Garda National Traffic Bureau added: “Since 2010, 39 people have been killed and seriously injured on our roads over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Driver fatigue is the silent killer on our roads, particularly when people are travelling long distances. We all need to be wary of being weary. An Garda Síochána will be out in force over the bank holiday weekend to address all aspects of road traffic enforcement with a particular emphasis on high risk, irresponsible behaviour. Last August bank holiday Gardaí dealt with 160 drink drivers, over 2,700 speeders, over 200 drivers holding a mobile a phone whilst driving and over 150 drivers not wearing a safety belt.”
Applegreen will provide free cups of coffee to drivers at 15 participating service stations. The campaign will run between 2pm and 8pm on the Friday and Monday of the bank holiday weekend. All drivers need to do is mention ‘RSA’ to the till operator to receive a free cup of coffee.

 The RSA and An Garda Síochána have the following advice for tired drivers:
 
•         Stop, park in a safe place and take a nap for 15 minutes (set your mobile phone alarm). This is the most important tactic.
•         To really make the most of the break, take a caffeine drink before the nap (150mg of caffeine e.g. 2 cups of coffee). After the nap, the caffeine should have started to take effect.
•         Then get some fresh air and stretch your legs for a few minutes.
•         By following all of the above advice you should be able to drive for another hour or so.
 
This week, the RSA will launch its first TV-led advertising campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of driver fatigue. The campaign will provide motorists with advice on what to do if they begin to feel tired while they are driving. Watch the ad here: