GARDAI have issued urgent advice after a driver was found asleep at the wheel.
Cops warned that the consequences of driving while tired “could be catastrophic”.
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The driver was found nodding off with the engine running at a set of traffic lights in Waterford city, on Monday, August 5.
Gardai issued advice to take a 20-minute nap if fatigue is setting in.
A spokesperson said: “The consequences of driving while being this tired could be catastrophic.
“Arrive alive. Take your breaks. A 20 min nap before you leave can make all the difference.”
The RoadSafety Authority has warned that driving while tired, or driver fatigue, is a contributory factor in 15 to 20 per cent of fatal crashes every year.
Fatigue causes slower reaction times, poor steering and reduced ability to keep a sufficient distance from the vehicle in front.
It is associated with both reduced capacity to drive safely and decreased motivation to drive safely.
Some 28 per cent of Irish drivers have said they have fallen asleep or nodded off while driving, according to the Driver Attitude and Behaviour Survey 2020.
Those most at risk of driver fatigue are young men, people who work night shifts, those who drive for a living and people with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.
They advise that if you feel tired and have to keep driving, you should follow the “Stop. Sip. Sleep.” rule.
This includes finding a safe place to park, drinking two cups of strong coffee or a stimulation drink containing caffeine and taking a nap for no more than 15 to 20 minutes.
Road deaths rising
Last month, the death toll on Irish roads for the year eclipsed the 100 mark.
The overall figure for road deaths in early July for the country was some 14 per cent higher than it was last year.
Only one county has managed to avoid any collisions since December despite several others exceeding the amount of deaths on road for all of last year in the first six months of 2024.
Over the first 200 days of 2024, over 100 people have been killed on the roads.