MEDIA RELEASE
18 March 2008
Plan Ahead for Your Easter Road Trip and Beat Fatigue
Planning ahead and scheduling regular breaks into your road-trip could be a life-saving formula this Easter.
With New Zealanders gearing up to get away on their Easter break, ACC will be out reminding drivers to wake up to the
dangers of fatigue. Tiredness and fatigue can often affect your driving ability long before you even notice you’re
getting tired. But fatigue can be fatal.
In fact, in 2006 at least 40 people lost their lives while almost 1000 people were injured because they, or the driver
of the car they were in, succumbed to fatigue.
“The best way to beat fatigue is to be aware of its dangers and how to prevent it,” said ACC’s Judy Buchanan, Programme
Manager road safety.
“For a start, drivers should plan ahead so they’re in top condition for their trip. That means not working a full day
and then driving for hours, but having a good night’s sleep before they get behind the wheel. Drivers should also give
themselves plenty of time to get to their destinations and schedule in regular breaks.”
Ms Buchanan said that is also true for shorter trips. Many fatigue crashes occur during journeys of only one or two
hours because drivers think they can manage that distance without much sleep or planning.
“The only cure for fatigue is sleep,” she said. “The big message to drivers is that if they’re struggling to keep their
eyes open, yawning repeatedly, day-dreaming, wandering in their lane, or unintentionally speeding up or slowing down,
they must stop and sleep.
“A power nap of only twenty minutes can boost energy levels as well as improve driving skills and alertness. Best of
all, those twenty minutes could prevent a devastating road crash,” Ms Buchanan said. Other fatigue-busting advice is to
drink water, avoid dehydrating caffeine, eat fruit and healthy snacks rather than fatty and sugary food, and to stop
every two hours to get out of the car for a break.
“ACC is reminding all its staff about the dangers of driver fatigue and we are encouraging other employers to do the
same. Employers can play an important role in ensuring their staff return safely to work next Tuesday,” Judy Buchanan
said.
ACC is teaming with Police and local authorities to run Driver Fatigue Stops around the country this Easter, and is also
supporting State Insurance’s Driver Reviver stops.
ENDS
www.acc.co.nz, and search for ‘driver fatigue’