Are you a power napping expert? Nowadays power napping or quick snoozing is a very fashionable thing to do. In the old days it was just old men who would consider taking a power nap, but not anymore. The times have certainly changed. The beauty of power napping is that it might even one day save your life

The RSA reports that driver fatigue could be a contributory factor in 1 in 5 deaths in Ireland. Can you imagine the horrific impact here? Your body is limp and asleep and therefore you make no last second evasive move. Just bang and the lights go out for good.

The only way to combat this fatigue is not to drive when you’re feeling knackered. It’s common sense really. But common sense is often left behind in amongst the carnage after people lumber into their cars after a bad night’s sleep or a tough day in the office.

And if you are out on the road, with nobody to take over the wheel, bear in mind that the old tricks of winding down the window, turning up the radio or even stopping to stretch your legs are all good ideas that might momentarily perk you up but eventually the eye lids will pick up an unbearable weight again.

The only thing to do is to stop at a safe place, lock your doors and windows and have a strong cup of coffee. It takes at least 20 minutes for the caffeine to kick in, so try to pack in a power nap. Any longer and you might wake up groggy. This is still not ideal by any stretch of the imagination. But the alternative is a nightmare you might never wake from.

Bank holiday weekends are notorious for busy traffic and very dangerous driving conditions. Very few of these weekends pass without a litany of road deaths. Thankfully the RSA and Topaz run a ‘driver reviver’ campaign which helps battle the problem of driver fatigue. Free coffee is given out in Topaz petrol stations across Ireland. This helps save lives.

AXA urges everyone to please take care on Irish roads next August bank holiday weekend – arrive home safely.

If what you have just read scares you then pay a quick visit to AXA for a great car insurance quote. We sell a wide variety of motor insurance products at low prices.