THE ROAD SAFETY Authority and gardaí have launched a new advertisement urging tired drivers to pull over until they are fully alert.

The video is being launched ahead of the August bank holiday weekend as figures show over the past five years 12 people have been killed and 27 seriously injured in Irish roads during that period.

It is estimated that driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as one in five driver deaths in Ireland every year.

Tiredness-related collisions are also 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 last year revealed that over one in ten 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.

The new ad gives drivers some simple advice if they are feeling tired: Pull over, get a coffee and take a short nap, or ‘Stop. Sip. Sleep‘.

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