TIREDNESS brought on by turkey and all the trimmings is the "silent killer" on the roads at Christmas, drivers have been were warned.

Motorists should not get behind the wheel too soon after their festive meals, the Department for Transport said.

A spokesman for the department's THINK! road safety campaign added: "Driver tiredness is the silent killer on our roads.

"As many as one in five crashes on motorways or similar roads, and one in 10 across the road network, come as a result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel."

Professor Jim Horne, director of the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre, said: "Over the festive season, when people are likely to be visiting family and friends, drivers need to be reminded of the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel and how to avoid it."