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The Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO film breaking this Wednesday is part of a concerted initiative by the Department of Transport in the wake of new figures showing that 300 people are killed and 3,000 injured every year in accidents caused by drivers falling asleep.

The advertising breaks a few months after the Selby train crash, when a vehicle drove on to the track. The driver, Gary Hart, was jailed for five years after being found guilty of falling asleep at the wheel.

In another case, a lorry driver who defied medical advice to stop driving after falling asleep at the wheel 15 times was sent to prison for eight years after killing an engaged couple.

The cases have prompted calls from campaigners for action to be taken to combat the problem.

The new film is the latest of a series of commercials by AMV - from anti-drink-driving to the encouragement of rear seat belt wearing - which have relied on shock tactics to deliver the safety message.

The ad opens with a peaceful image of a man with his eyes closed. A voiceover says: "Tonight John will die in his sleep. He is comfortable and has his family by his side."

The camera pans back to show the same man, asleep at the wheel, as he drives home at night from a family holiday. The car is seen drifting across the road before hitting a barrier and turning over. The endline is: "Think. Don't drive tired."

The film was written by Nick Worthington, art directed by Paul Brazier and directed by Stuart Douglas for @radical.media. It was shot on an unopened stretch of motorway in Eastbourne using a stunt driver and two cars, which were run up a ramp and spun on to their roofs.

Tony Allsworth, the department's head of transport publicity, said: "Research suggests that drivers falling asleep could be a factor in one in ten accidents that result in death or injury. Drivers need to plan long journeys and factor in a proper break every two hours."

COI Communications is buying media for the campaign, which will run on national TV for two weeks with an accompanying radio campaign. The strategy is for a heavyweight short burst of activity to shock people out of their complacency.

Officials believe that although the number of deaths caused by drivers falling asleep don't match those caused by drinking, the high proportion of accidents make it equally serious.

They say the problem is being exacerbated by the hundreds of miles a day driven by sales reps and van delivery drivers.