Research published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has found that 1 in 10 drivers in Ireland fall asleep at the wheel.  Almost half of the drivers knew that they should stop, drink coffee and/or take a nap if they felt sleepy at the wheel, but 42% admitted to ignoring this information and just opened a window to keep them awake.

Among the drivers who had fallen asleep at the wheel, one third had only been travelling for one hour when they fell asleep and 1 in 5 only realised they had fallen asleep when they had driven off the road.