Fatigue does not always feel dramatic. It can start as heavy eyes, repeated yawning, missing a turn, drifting in your lane or realising you cannot remember the last few kilometres.

The Road Safety Authority estimates that fatigue may contribute to as many as one in five fatal crashes in Ireland. Tiredness-related collisions are also more likely to be severe, because a driver who has nodded off may not brake or take avoiding action.

Opening the window, turning up the radio or chewing gum does not restore alertness.

If you feel sleepy, stop somewhere safe. The RSA's advice is simple: stop, take caffeine, and have a short nap of around fifteen minutes before continuing. Better still, plan rest before a long journey and avoid driving when you would normally be asleep.

We have normalised checking our phones almost everywhere - at home, at work, in a queue, walking down the street. The car has to be different.

Social media is designed to pull attention back: a message, a like, a video, a reply, another alert. Behind the wheel, that attention is needed somewhere else.

The danger is not only typing. Reading a notification, changing a playlist, choosing a podcast, checking a map or filming a quick clip can all create moments when the driver is mentally absent from the road.

A phone does not have to be in your hand for long to take you out of the driving task.

A message arrives. A screen lights up. You glance down. In that moment, the road is still moving. The car ahead may brake. A pedestrian may step out. A traffic light may change. A cyclist may move around a pothole.

Distraction is not only visual. A phone can take your hands, your hearing and, most importantly, your attention away from driving. Research cited by the Road Safety Authority shows mobile-phone use can substantially increase collision risk.