Driver Fatigue: The Tired Tale Recommendations
3. Recommendations:
- Support a culture of awareness and training about the risks, predictors, and symptoms of driving fatigue. Induction training and ongoing information and training should include health management topics to increase drivers’ awareness and understanding of the impact that their health and lifestyle can have on fatigue.
- Deliver awareness campaigns of the impact of activities such as a second job, other driving, recreational activities, sport, insufficient sleep, stressful situations, and the consumption of alcohol and other recreational drugs or medication on their well-being and capacity to work effectively. These activities may affect their state of fatigue, especially cumulative fatigue, and capacity to drive safely.
- Include permissive measures for employees to alert management that they are at risk, or experiencing symptoms of fatigue.
- Evaluate work schedules and be cognizant of employees subject to night and early morning driving.
- Create the awareness that employees coming off night, or long shifts, must have the opportunity to recover any sleep loss before returning to work.
- Institute a fatigue management plan of policies and best practices that are communicated and understood within the organization.
