Tiredness Kills Road Safety Campaign. From the left Insp. Geoff Minshull, Road Safety Officer Trevor Higson from BMBC and Insp Duncan Grundy of Bolton Traffic Unit

A CRASHED car gave Bolton shoppers a vivid illustration of the perils of falling asleep at the wheel.

The crumpled wreckage of a Rover 213 was parked at the foot of the town hall steps for the North-west launch of a hard-hitting campaign urging drivers to take steps to avoid tiredness.

Government estimates credit sleepiness as the cause of one in five motorway accidents and one in 10 for other crashes.

Those involved are more likely to be killed because sleeping drivers fail to brake before the impact to reduce their vehicle's speed.

Greater Manchester Police are convinced the national picture is echoed in the region, where there were 16,500 smashes where people were hurt last year.

Inspector Duncan Grundy, of Bolton police traffic unit, said the warnings were particularly imperative at this time of year when many families will be driving for hours on end as they set out on their summer holidays.

He said: "Lots of people from this area will be going to places such as Cornwall and Scotland and we are concerned that if people are making these journeys they will forget to take simple precautions and put themselves and other road users in danger."

The crashed car - mocked up to show the devastating effects of a smash - attracted considerable interest as police and council road safety officers handed out leaflets advising motorists how to avoid fatigue.

They stressed that unless drivers took action as soon as they noticed the first signs of tiredness it could be too late.

There was also an emphasis on prevention rather than cure - ensuring a sound night's sleep before setting out on a journey or sharing driving rather than resorting to opening windows or downing coffee.

Trevor Higson, Bolton council senior safety officer, said: "It's a simple message but it's one that can have devastating consequences if it's not taken into account."

The most dangerous times are between midnight and 7am, when most people would normally be asleep or after a long working day.

A two-year long study by Loughborough University's sleep unit concluded that in most sleep-related accidents the drivers are men. Fifty per cent of those who fall asleep at the wheel are under 30 years old. Tips to tackle tiredness There is no sacrifice for sleep. Try to get a good night's sleep before starting a long drive.

Stop in a safe place if you feel tired. If you are on a motorway DO NOT park on the hard shoulder but take the next exit and find somewhere to stop or call in at the next service station.

Once you have stopped somewhere safe drink a cup or two of strong coffee, followed by a short nap.

Plan stops of 15 minutes for every two hours of a motorway journey

Share driving duties if possible.