AS DRIVERS prepare for the great Easter getaway, transport bosses have urged them not to take to the wheel while tired.

Representatives of the Government Office for the North-East, and Washington Services, bedded down at the service station on the A1(M) in a bid to get the message across - Don't Drive Tired.

A Transport Department spokesman said: "Research shows that about a fifth of all accidents on the motorway network are caused by people falling asleep at the wheel.

"A short stop for a nap - about 15 minutes in a safe location - as well as a cup of coffee could be the difference between arriving safely at your destination and not.

"The old standbys of opening the window or turning up the radio do very little to prevent a driver falling asleep at the wheel."