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Driver fatigue and its cure

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  • 07-03-2021 11:50pm
    #1
    rhc2s4lj5p0xu9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭


    If you stop for coffee and rest while driving can you be parked on the side of the public road with engine on for heat.? They say have a coffee and a nap so can you nap in car which has the engine running for heat if it is parked safely. Do you have to be in the passenger seat or would it make any difference.


    Or do you have to be off the public road. I know public road in respect of RTA is anywhere the public can access so even a park or layby is public.


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    #2
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,189 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    Why wouldn't you have 40 winks with the engine running?
    As long as you are safely parked.
    Wouldn't do it on a "hard shoulder", you are liable to be killed.
    Why would you get into the passanger seat?


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    #3
    rhc2s4lj5p0xu9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭rhc2s4lj5p0xu9


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    Why wouldn't you have 40 winks with the engine running?
    As long as you are safely parked.
    Wouldn't do it on a "hard shoulder", you are liable to be killed.
    Why would you get into the passanger seat?
    i didn't say i would i asked if one has to because you are in charge of a car and being asleep with the engine running might be an offence I don't know.That's why i asked
    I thought being in the passenger seat might make it less likely to be an offence?


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    #4
    KaneToad
    Registered Users Posts: 3,178 ✭✭✭KaneToad


    No offence to be asleep in a parked car. Unless it's due to intoxication.


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    #5
    dobman88
    Registered Users Posts: 6,461 ✭✭✭dobman88


    Is the obvious thing to do not just have a nap in the parking area of the garage you stop for a coffee. Decent services on motorways in Ireland now with massive parking areas and most towns would have a 24 hour garage with decent parking areas.

    I wouldnt pull into the hard shoulder to have a nap.


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    #6
    rhc2s4lj5p0xu9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭rhc2s4lj5p0xu9


    dobman88 wrote: »
    Is the obvious thing to do not just have a nap in the parking area of the garage you stop for a coffee. Decent services on motorways in Ireland now with massive parking areas and most towns would have a 24 hour garage with decent parking areas.

    I wouldnt pull into the hard shoulder to have a nap.
    it would be if one was at the garage but you could have non coffee caffeine drink in the car. I didnt really mean the hard shoulder but a place where there is off road space like a layby. That is still public under RTA hence my asking about engine on


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    #7
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,189 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    Lay by, car-park, field gate, side of the road in a residential area, all perfectly OK.
    Anywhere except a "hard shoulder".
    Read a statistic once that your life expectancy on a hard shoulder ( in the UK) is 8 minutes.....

    Edit to add, a passing Garda car might stop to check you out, thinking you had a few drinks.
    But that's their job.


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    #8
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,485 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Allan Purple Sunspot wrote: »
    If you stop for coffee and rest while driving can you be parked on the side of the public road with engine on for heat.? They say have a coffee and a nap so can you nap in car which has the engine running for heat if it is parked safely. Do you have to be in the passenger seat or would it make any difference.


    Or do you have to be off the public road. I know public road in respect of RTA is anywhere the public can access so even a park or layby is public.

    FFS don't use a 1-2 litre polluting combustion engine as a heater? Stick a blanket in the boot or something, but don't pollute the air we breathe to keep your tootsies warm.


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    #9
    rhc2s4lj5p0xu9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭rhc2s4lj5p0xu9


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    Lay by, car-park, field gate, side of the road in a residential area, all perfectly OK.
    Anywhere except a "hard shoulder".
    Read a statistic once that your life expectancy on a hard shoulder ( in the UK) is 8 minutes.....

    Edit to add, a passing Garda car might stop to check you out, thinking you had a few drinks.
    But that's their job.
    thats why i am wondering re the engine.


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    #10
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,189 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    Allan Purple Sunspot wrote: »
    thats why i am wondering re the engine.

    Not a problem legally.
    They'd far rather you were asleep in a safe place than driving along with the window down, swigging Monster and pinching your own leg to try and stay awake...
    Or even more dangerous, closing one eye "to rest it" ....


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    #11
    rhc2s4lj5p0xu9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭rhc2s4lj5p0xu9


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    Not a problem legally.
    They'd far rather you were asleep in a safe place than driving along with the window down, swigging Monster and pinching your own leg to try and stay awake...
    Or even more dangerous, closing one eye "to rest it" ....

    Edited to add : But possibly youngsters don't do any of the above stuff any more... ( like we did in the 80's and 90's)
    Going by the Garda Twitter page, it's more likely they snort a line off the top of the dash and drive another 100 miles....
    sick way to live


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    #12
    tomtucker81
    Registered Users Posts: 415 ✭✭tomtucker81


    Allan Purple Sunspot wrote: »
    If you stop for coffee and rest while driving can you be parked on the side of the public road with engine on for heat.? They say have a coffee and a nap so can you nap in car which has the engine running for heat if it is parked safely. Do you have to be in the passenger seat or would it make any difference.


    Or do you have to be off the public road. I know public road in respect of RTA is anywhere the public can access so even a park or layby is public.


    There's nothing illegal about being parked for a nap with the engine running. It doesn't matter what seat you're in either.
    The only possible illegality is if you stopped on the hard shoulder of a motorway for a nap...so don't do that. Don't stop on any hard ahoulder, as a previous poster has said, it is dangerous.

    If there's no garage to pull in to and stop or town with a car park nearby, then there are plenty of gates to fields where a car could pull in out of the way. I've had to do this myself a few times years ago when trying to get home from one side of the country to the other late at night.

    If a garda car comes along, they won't have an issue at all with you being safe. If you are tired, pull over safely and stop. You might not even sleep but just stopping and relaxing the brain for a few minutes can make the difference. Be safe... You can't fight the micro sleeps for long


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    #13
    dobman88
    Registered Users Posts: 6,461 ✭✭✭dobman88


    Allan Purple Sunspot wrote: »
    it would be if one was at the garage but you could have non coffee caffeine drink in the car. I didnt really mean the hard shoulder but a place where there is off road space like a layby. That is still public under RTA hence my asking about engine on

    Fair enough. But in your OP you specified coffee and a rest. So I was basing my answer on that tbf.


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    #14
    rock22
    Registered Users Posts: 1,547 ✭✭✭rock22


    I would say that if you are on a public road in the driver seat and the engine is running then you are in charge of a vehicle and would be expected to be have your seat belt on and be alert.


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    #15
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,282 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    I think there are a number of issues relating both to general safety and legality.

    If you are excessively fatigued, you should not be in charge of a vehicle, moving or not. People do things when asleep / half asleep, like thing they are driving ...

    Running the engine for an extended period does pose a fire risk.


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    #16
    rhc2s4lj5p0xu9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭rhc2s4lj5p0xu9


    dobman88 wrote: »
    Fair enough. But in your OP you specified coffee and a rest. So I was basing my answer on that tbf.
    yes that is correct, no problem


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    #17
    POBox19
    Registered Users Posts: 649 ✭✭✭POBox19


    Allan Purple Sunspot wrote: »
    If you stop for coffee and rest while driving can you be parked on the side of the public road with engine on for heat.? They say have a coffee and a nap so can you nap in car which has the engine running for heat if it is parked safely. Do you have to be in the passenger seat or would it make any difference.

    Or do you have to be off the public road. I know public road in respect of RTA is anywhere the public can access so even a park or layby is public.


    Park in a safe place off the roadway and away from traffic. Leave the motor running if you need heat in cold weather. Leave two windows open a little for fresh air. Leave sidelights on at night or in dull weather. Lock all doors and boot.

    The Gardai may stop and check that you are ok. They may direct you to a safer place if they have a concern about your parking spot.
    Enjoy the snooze.


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    #18
    BattleCorp
    Registered Users Posts: 11,758 ✭✭✭✭BattleCorp


    POBox19 wrote: »
    Park in a safe place off the roadway and away from traffic. Leave the motor running if you need heat in cold weather. Leave two windows open a little for fresh air. Leave sidelights on at night or in dull weather. Lock all doors and boot.

    The Gardai may stop and check that you are ok. They may direct you to a safer place if they have a concern about your parking spot.
    Enjoy the snooze.

    Not a good idea to leave the motor running. It's not good for the engine. It can easily overheat.

    Is there a danger of being exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning too in some situations? I suppose that would depend on weather conditions, frequency and duration of exposures etc.


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    #19
    Deise Vu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,939 ✭✭✭Deise Vu


    If you are planning on driving while in such a state of exhaustion that you will need energy drinks and a nap to keep going, maybe change your plans??


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    #20
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,485 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    BattleCorp wrote: »
    Not a good idea to leave the motor running. It's not good for the engine. It can easily overheat.

    Is there a danger of being exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning too in some situations? I suppose that would depend on weather conditions, frequency and duration of exposures etc.

    150 balloons each minute

    https://twitter.com/sketchplanator/status/1320488218370953217?s=19


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    #21
    Claw Hammer
    Registered Users Posts: 6,163 ✭✭✭Claw Hammer


    Allan Purple Sunspot wrote: »
    i didn't say i would i asked if one has to because you are in charge of a car and being asleep with the engine running might be an offence I don't know.That's why i asked
    I thought being in the passenger seat might make it less likely to be an offence?

    There is an offence of driving without due care and attention. Anyone with the engine of a car running should be alert.


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    #22
    rhc2s4lj5p0xu9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭rhc2s4lj5p0xu9


    Claw Hammer wrote: »
    There is an offence of driving without due care and attention. Anyone with the engine of a car running should be alert.
    That was one of my concerns. Are you driving if the car is stationary? It could be in charge of the car though?


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    #23
    Claw Hammer
    Registered Users Posts: 6,163 ✭✭✭Claw Hammer


    Allan Purple Sunspot wrote: »
    That was one of my concerns. Are you driving if the car is stationary? It could be in charge of the car though?

    You are driving under the wider definition of driving as defined in the Road Traffic Acts. You are in the car with the keys on your person and are the one who turned on the ignition.


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    #24
    POBox19
    Registered Users Posts: 649 ✭✭✭POBox19


    Allan Purple Sunspot wrote: »
    That was one of my concerns. Are you driving if the car is stationary? It could be in charge of the car though?


    It is really not going to be a problem, unless you are sleeping off last nights intoxication and should not be driving in the first place.


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    #25
    El fenomeno 2020 R999999
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4 ✭El fenomeno 2020 R999999


    Engine off parked in a safe place and not being a nuisance and your good.


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