Driver fatigue is one of the most under-rated risks in transport management. Truckers are limited by law to how many hours per week they can drive, but various factors in their personal lives may mean they are exhausted even before they begin work.
And the situation for van drivers is even more serious. With no real limits on how many hours they can operate at a time, some are little more than accidents waiting to happen as they risk falling asleep at the wheel.
Now new research by GEM Motoring Assist has revealed that up to one in five crashes and around one in four fatal and serious incidents on UK roads are caused by fatigue – and this figure could in fact be far higher.
James Luckhurst, GEM’s head of road safety, said: “A fatigue-related crash is one of the most dangerous scenarios on our roads because the driver may have no opportunity to react at all. These collisions are often high speed and high impact, with devastating consequences.”
Last year, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) called on the Government to introduce standardised tests for assessing fatigue at the scene of road traffic collisions, similar to breathalyser tests for alcohol, establish a national registry of drowsy driving incidents and run public awareness campaigns targeting high-risk groups such as shift workers.
GEM is reminding fleets and their drivers that on hot days it is vital to stay hydrated, keep the vehicle well-ventilated and build in extra breaks to avoid the added strain that heat can place on the body.
Common early warning signs of fatigue include frequent yawning, difficulty concentrating, drifting within a lane and missing road signs. As tiredness worsens, drivers may experience ‘microsleeps’ – brief, uncontrollable episodes of sleep lasting a few seconds.
“Fatigue isn’t something that suddenly takes over, it builds gradually and your body gives clear warning signs. Ignoring those signs can cost lives,” said Luckhurst.
“The key message is simple: if you are tired, you should not be driving. Planning ahead, recognising the signs of fatigue and taking timely breaks can make all the difference.”
