But first, she said, they need to learn how to take a power nap.

"A lot of people don't understand," said Mrs Hamilton-Vaughan, road safety officer for Orange and Cabonne councils.

She said the advice also applied to mine workers at Cadia.

"You need to pull over somewhere safe - and I reiterate the word safe.

"Put the seat back and close your eyes for 15 minutes; set your phone [alarm], as you don't want to sleep for 30 to 45 minutes as you can go into a deeper sleep."

She said it was not essential to completely fall asleep: "You might still hear the traffic, that's perfectly okay as your brain has rested."

Mrs Hamilton-Vaughan said signs of tiredness included eye rubbing, yawning and drifting out of your lane.

She said drivers shouldn't feel "silly" about taking a power nap when they were close to their destination.

"Some people may think it's easier to push on, but statistical analysis shows beyond all doubt the people who push on are the people who end up getting themselves or someone else killed or injured."

She said taking a break every two hours was no longer a hard and fast rule.

"Some people are tired before two hours. There can be other mitigating circumstances - a bad night's sleep, working late, up all night with a child, lifestyle factors."

Send us a letter to the editor using the form below ...