Take a break, not a risk this Bank Holiday

Road safety experts from the Local Authority Road Safety Officers’ Association (LARSOA) are urging drivers to take a break and not a risk this bank holiday weekend.

Spokespeople from LARSOA are available for interview and further comment – please contact us to arrange.

With Britain’s roads set to be busy with motorists getting away for breaks over the long weekend, Government research shows that up to one in five crashes on motorways and similar roads is caused by driver fatigue.

LARSOA is calling on Bank Holiday drivers to plan their journey to include a 15 minute break every 2 hours and take other measures to avoid becoming tired behind the wheel.

Simon Ettinghausen, Press and Public Relations Officer for LARSOA said:
“Over 300 people a year are killed or seriously injured as a result of falling asleep at the wheel and this Bank Holiday we want drivers to take a break instead of taking a risk and driving while tired.”

“We know that drivers are far more likely to be seriously injured if they are involved in an collision after falling asleep at the wheel and, unfortunately, combating fatigue by turning up the radio or opening a window does not solve the problem.”

According to research carried out by the sleep unit at Loughborough University, men under 30 are the most likely to fall asleep at the wheel. It is believed that this is because they are more likely to use the roads at night and are more likely to carry on with a journey despite feeling tired.

Simon went on to say: “If you do start to feel tired on a journey, find a safe place to stop and take a break.”

“By planning your journey in advance and including regular breaks with a cup of coffee you are giving your body time to recover from the effects of fatigue meaning you’re far more likely to arrive safely at your destination.”

Notes to Newsdesks/Reporters: For further information please contact Peter Whelan Jnr on 01287 610404 or 07983 288388.

ABOUT LARSOA

LARSOA is a national road safety organisation representing road safety officers (RSOs) employed in local government across the UK.

LARSOA represents 185 of the 200 eligible local authorities across the UK, assisting RSOs to fulfil their statutory role to reduce the number and severity of road casualties through education, training and publicity programmes.

LARSOA publishes an up-to-date round-up of road safety news from across the UK on its website www.larsoa.org.uk .

LARSOA also aims to influence national debate - government policy and action together with public opinion. The association works to achieve national recognition for road safety issues, commissions research into behaviour which contributes to road collisions and develops national road safety campaigns.

The association assists in identifying achievable national targets to reduce the number of collisions on the country's roads.