Fatigue is one of the three biggest killers on NSW roads. Ahead of the increased traffic on key travel routes over the upcoming holiday period, Shoalhaven City Council has partnered with neighbouring Councils to support the Local Government Road Safety 'Driver Fatigue- War on Waste' campaign.
The campaign, proudly funded by Transport for NSW encourages motorists to take rest breaks to manage fatigue, whilst also addressing additional holiday waste by supplying local cafes along key travel routes with free reusable keep cups featuring fatigue safety messaging for customers.
The cups are made from a 50/50 blend of rice husk fibre and food grade polypropylene, making this initiative a win for local businesses, travellers and our planet.
Mayor Amanda Findley was pleased to see local Cafe's joining the campaign to help promote the message of managing driver fatigue.
"We are proud to partner with Eurobodalla, Goulburn Mulwaree and Queanbeyan Council in spreading the message on driver fatigue. This is a great campaign which supports motorist safety, sustainability and using local businesses as a rest point.
"So far, we have Uptown Patisserie – Ulladulla, Four Ate Five Café - Lake Conjola, Hello Huey Caravan Coffee Shop – Narrawallee and the Encore Café – Nowra (also Visitor Information Centre) taking part in the campaign and we hope to have more local cafes along the Princes Highway come onboard throughout December." Mayor Findley said.
Driver fatigue can happen on any trip, no matter how long or short, at any time of day. Make sure you stop and consider how tired you are before driving. Learn to recognise the early warning signs when driving and know what to do to avoid driving tired.
Early warning signs include yawning, poor concentration, sore/tired eyes, restlessness, drowsiness, slow reactions, boredom and oversteering.
"The facts are confronting. Fatigue-related crashes are twice as likely to be fatal. If you're asleep, you cannot react and break, and the impact can be much more severe. From 2015 to 2019, fatigue was a contributing factor in 10% of all crashes in the Shoalhaven. 37% of these crashes were on the Highway.
"Unlike drink driving, there are no laws regulating driver fatigue. We all need to play a part in managing our fatigue and watching for the signs in others.
"When travelling through the Shoalhaven these holidays, take a break, stop in at a local participating café and enjoy a refreshing beverage with a great new keep cup*. A win-win!
Test your tired self now: https://www.testyourtiredself.com.au/
*Keep cups are only available until supplies run out at each store.
