04 April, 2012 For immediate release

Stay sharp at State Driver Reviver rest stops this Easter weekend

State Insurance staff will be out on some of our main highways this Easter weekend giving drivers the chance to fend off fatigue at State Driver Reviver rest stops.

Travellers will be able to rest and re-energise at State Driver Reviver rest stops whilst enjoying free barista coffee, barbecued sausages, fruit and water. There will also be activities for kids and toilets.

Ministry of Transport provisional figures for 2011 show that 32 people died in crashes where fatigue was identified as a factor, while 139 suffered serious injuries and 601 suffered minor injuries. The total social cost of crashes involving fatigue in 2011 was an estimated $249 million.

“We’ve been operating Driver Reviver rest stops over the Easter long weekend for eight years now. The rest stops are run by staff volunteers who have taken real ownership over driver safety and fatigue,” says Mary-Jane Daly, Executive General Manager of State.

“Driver fatigue is one road risk we can actually manage, and we’re proud to be able to offer passing drivers a chance to take a break on us.”

You may be suffering from driver fatigue if you are:
• having trouble focusing, keeping your eyes open or holding your head up
• daydreaming, having wandering or disconnected thoughts, or loss of memory
• yawning or rubbing your eyes repeatedly
• drifting from your lane, tailgating and missing signs or exits
• feeling restless and irritable
• someone who has recently travelled long-distance by air.

If you are driving and begin to feel tired:

• Rest - stop and get out of the car for at least 15 minutes as soon as you notice any of the signs of driver fatigue.

• Refresh - have something to drink or eat, but avoid even small amounts of alcohol and stick to light foods to stay alert.

• Re-energise - pull over somewhere safe if you need to take a nap, but don’t sleep for more than 20 minutes as you may feel groggy. Wait at least 10 minutes after you wake before you drive again, to make sure you are completely alert.

State Driver Reviver - Easter weekend 2012

Go to www.state.co.nz/StateDriverReviver for details of the five State Driver Reviver rest stops, with scheduled times subject to light and weather conditions:

Ruakaka
Uretiti Weigh Station
State Highway 1, 30km south of Whangarei
Monday 9 April, 10am - 6pm

Putaruru
VTNZ Testing Station
State Highway 1, 2km south of Putaruru
Thursday 5 April, 2pm - 6pm
Friday 6 April, 10am - 2pm

Ohakea
Weigh Station
State Highway 1, 2km south of Bulls
Monday 9 April, 10am - 6pm

Lewis Pass
Engineers Camp
State Highway 7
Friday 6 April, 10am - 6pm

Ealing
Rest Area
State Highway 1, 110km south of Christchurch
Monday 9 April, 10am - 6pm

ENDS

To download photos click the links below:
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Photo caption:
State Insurance staff are offering free food and drink to encourage drivers to beat fatigue at State Driver Reviver rest stops on some of the country’s main highways this Easter weekend

About State
State has been providing New Zealanders with an extensive range of personal and business insurance services for more than 100 years and manages over a million policies on behalf of more than 460,000 New Zealanders. State is a business division of IAG New Zealand Limited, New Zealand’s largest general insurer.

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