The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has issued a fresh plea to drivers, on the eve of the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

The campaign group has warned of the dangers of driver fatigue.

Accidents caused by tired drivers are three times more likely to result in fatalities or serious injury, according to the authority.

The message has particular poignancy as 162 people have been killed or badly injured on the roads, during this national holiday alone, since 2000.

-- Advertisement --

The Road Safety Authority has appealed to road users to be aware of the dangers of driver fatigue.

Research has indicated that one in every five crashes on Ireland's roads could be caused by driver fatigue.

The high impact speed and lack of avoidance action, during these crash, heighten the chances of serious injury or death.

Safety experts have warned that fighting sleep at the wheel is as dangerous as driving over the legal drink drive limit.

The RSA's CEO Declan Naughton said: "The notion that turning up the volume on the radio, or opening the window cures you of tiredness is a myth that need to be dispelled.

"They simply don't work."

(PR/JM)