Castlebar - County Mayo - Falling Asleep at the Wheel

Drivers are being reminded to make time for a break this week in an effort to reduce the number of sleep-related accidents on the roads.

The summer months attract hundreds of people to visit Co. Mayo from all over the country, and those stopping at Freeman’s Service Station on the N5 on Friday 31st July will be made aware of the importance of taking regular breaks away from the wheel.

The number of road deaths has reached 143 so far this year in the Republic and confirms July as the most dangerous month for deaths on the roads of Ireland.

If you feel sleepy on a long drive - why not break your journey have a coffee and sleep for 20 minutes?

Professional masseuses will be taking a hands-on approach to the problem by offering a head, hand and feet massages to ease away the stress of driving.   Drivers will also be able to test how good their reactions really are with a driving simulated brake testing activity which will calculate how quick they are to react after seeing brake lights in front of them, while they enjoy a free cup of Barry’s tea.

New research released by the Road Safety Authority shows that over 1 in 10 drivers (14%) have admitted to nodding off or falling asleep while driving. The new findings reinforces the results of international research which suggests that driver fatigue could be a contributory factor in one in five driver deaths in Ireland. This silent killer may have claimed more than 350 road deaths in the past five years.

This is the time of year when people drive further than they are used to, to visit friends, family or go on holiday Road Safety Officer Noel Gibbons said: “It’s time to scotch the mistaken belief that you can fight off sleep by turning up the stereo or opening the window.   To really stay alert on a long drive you need to be taking a 15 minute break every two hours of driving”.

Garda Sergeant at Garda HQ in Castlebar, Mr Tom Calvey said:“I have seen too many horrific injuries caused by people falling asleep at the wheel to take this lightly.   Sleep-related accidents tend to be more serious than other road accidents because the driver is unable to react before a crash.   You don’t fall asleep without warning; if you are fighting to keep yourself awake, then get off the road!”

This event is just one of the themes Safer Roads for Mayo is concentrating on to save lives.