Driver fatigue is reportedly a factor in 10 to 20% of crashes worldwide.
It affects driving in various ways, including slowed reaction time and lack of concentration. If your reaction time is just half a second slower while driving only 40km/h per hour, it will take two car lengths longer to stop. Statistics indicate drivers who have not slept for 17 hours are comparable to drivers with a 0.05 blood alcohol level. Someone who has not slept for 24 hours has the same driving impairment as someone with 0.10 blood alcohol levels. This is concerning considering that fatigued driving does not receive the same attention or even legal consequences as drunken driving. Managing director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says fatigue among truck drivers in South Africa is a serious concern as they often drive long and monotonous routes. “Research conducted by the Interdisciplinary Accident Research Centre in South Africa, shows driver fatigue is one of the main causes of truck crashes, with 41% of accidents being fatigue related. Of the problems faced by truck drivers, 39% were related to fatigue,” he says.If you encourage your drivers to take regular breaks and do not place undue pressure on them to make deliveries, what else can one do to prevent fatigue-related crashes?
“IUM (Insurance Underwriting Managers) has introduced Seeing Machine technology to South Africa, which uses a motor to shake the seat on which a driver is sitting if they fall asleep. It uses algorithms, sensors and cameras to track eye and face movement and consequently notify an alarm system if the driver appears to be falling asleep or if they are driving distracted. The sensors are not only linked to alarms within the cab, but to a control centre, which can alert the fleet manager to take necessary steps to assess the driver’s alertness,” explains Herbert. Driver fatigue is an issue which every driver and fleet manager needs to take seriously. This will not only save companies money but potentially prevent the often fatal fatigue-related crashes.
