Topaz/RSA partnership praised for highlighting dangers of driver fatigue 
A campaign which highlights the dangers of driver fatigue claimed one of the top accolades at the Chambers Ireland President’s Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility at a reception in Dublin.
Topaz, which runs the Driver Reviver campaign in conjunction with the Road Safety Authority was nominated in the Marketplace category.
The Driver Reviver campaign was officially launched by Topaz in October 2008, with the full support of the Road Safety Authority. According to the RSA, one in five serious accidents on Irish roads is a result of driver fatigue. Research has shown that a cup of coffee, followed by a 15 minute nap, enables motorists to continue driving for a further hour.
As Bank Holidays traditionally see an increase in the number of cars on the road, Topaz came up with the idea of offering motorists a free coffee on the Friday of each Bank Holiday weekend and advertising the initiative at all their company owned sites and in the media. The initiative has been a huge success, with up to 20,000 drivers availing of the offer every Bank Holiday weekend.
The Chambers Ireland President’s Awards for CSR, now in their sixth year, recognise outstanding contributions to the community by leading businesses around the country and are run in association with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The event was held in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin, and hosted by television presenter Mary Kennedy.
Last night the award was presented to Topaz Chief Executive Eddie O’Brien by Minister of State John Curran, Ian Talbot of Chambers Ireland, and Gordon Carson from sponsors Resource.
Mr O’Brien said; “We are absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award. Everyone at Topaz and our friends in the RSA gave their full backing to this initiative and we believe the campaign has been very successful in highlighting the issue of driver fatigue, which is the ‘silent killer’ on our roads. If the campaign helps change driver behaviour and prevents even one accident, then it will have been a success.”
Noel Brett, CEO, RSA congratulated Topaz on winning the award; “Congratulations to Topaz on winning this award. They have made a very practical and worthwhile contribution to road safety and combating driver fatigue on our roads”.