Applegreen to provide free cups of coffee to tired drivers on Friday 3 and Monday 6 August. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and Applegreen have teamed up again to help drivers to combat the effects of driver fatigue over the August Bank Holiday Weekend by providing free cups of coffee to drivers between 2pm and 8pm on today Friday August 3 and MondayAugust 6. Simply say ‘RSA’ or ‘Driver Reviver’ to the till operator to avail of a free coffee.In 2017, this promotion saw over 10,000 cups of coffee handed out FREE! to tired drivers over bank holiday weekends. It has run for the last four bank holidays in 2018It is estimated that driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as 1 in 5 driver deaths in Ireland. Furthermore, tiredness-related collisions are 3 times more likely to be fatal or result in a serious injury because of the high impact speed and lack of avoiding action.To combat the effects of driver fatigue, the RSA advises drivers to Stop, Sip, Sleep*:
- Stop: Park in a safe place.
- Sip: Drink a caffeine drink like a cup of coffee.
- Sleep: Set the alarm on your mobile phone and take a 15 minute nap. After the nap get some fresh air and stretch your legs for a few minutes, the caffeine should have started to take effect by then.
By following all of the above advice you should be able to drive for another hour or so. But remember the only cure for a chronic lack of sleep is sleep.Ms Moyagh Murdock, Chief Executive, Road Safety Authority, said: “A Bank holiday weekend is a high risk period for road-users as there are typically more people using the roads, travelling greater distances and often in places that they are unfamiliar with. Therefore, the potential to become tired while driving increases. Don’t fight sleep at the wheel. Remember the message in our campaign. Stop, Sip, Sleep. Stop somewhere safe, sip a coffee and get a 15-minute nap.”Conor Lucey, Head of Retail Operations, Applegreen said: “We are delighted to continue partnering with the Road Safety Authority, supporting this life saving initiative to help improve driver safety on our roads this Bank Holiday weekend. With Applegreen service stations located across Ireland, drivers will never be far from a place to stop and reenergise. Road safety is very important to us, so we are proud to be involved in this campaign that contributes to safer driving and safer roads across Ireland.”To date this year 87 people have been killed on Irish roads, a decrease of 7 when compared to the same period last year.
A list of participating Applegreen service stations is available at http://www.applegreenstores.com/locations