Driver Fatigue Awareness Day reminds motorists to stay safe

Fatigue kills more people than drink-driving because when the driver is asleep, they cannot brake.

In Orange and Cabonne there were 96 driver fatigue fatal and injury crashes from 2013-2017 and 17 per cent occurred on the weekend.

Orange residents Todd Sligar, 23, Mitchell Holloway, 21, and Ethan Hertselt, 17, were among them on April 23, 2016 when they died instantly in a single vehicle crash on their way home for a night of hunting.

Mr Sligar's mother, Michelle Sligar, and sister,Tanika Pintos, have been pushing the message ever since, to be a champ and stop for a camp.

"We wanted to reach as many young recreational hunters and the guys who go fishing as well," Mrs Sligar said.

"I wanted to spare other families the pain and encourage other mothers to talk to their sons that when hunting they need their sleep before and after a night's hunting.

Ms Pintos said she did not want to spoil people's fun, but it was important to manage fatigue.

"You can't prevent falling into a micro sleep if you have worked all day and hunted all night the body shuts down," she said.