DRIVER FATIGUE

RESULTS

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You are not only the one at Risk !

Driver Fatigue is a factor in many thousands of road traffic accidents worldwide.

Human beings need sleep! Sleep is not a matter of choice it is essential and inevitable. The longer a person remains awake or suffers from reduced or

interrupted sleep, the greater the need to fall asleep and the more difficult it will be to resist falling asleep.

Eventually sleep will overcome the strongest efforts and intentions to stay awake.

A lack of sleep or an extended driving shift is as dangerous as alcohol and will cause slower reactions, reduced vigilance, alertness and concentration. It will

also affect our decision making and information processing skills

The need for sleep varies but most humans need around 8 hours sleep per day to function normally,

taking less than 5 hours sleep the previous night can severely impair your performance.

The general tactics employed by drivers to attempt to fight sleep and stay awake such as opening the

windows, turning down the AC, turning up the radio, or stopping and going for a walk have been found to

be ineffective.

The only effective proven tactic is to take a short sleep of around 10 to 15 minutes duration; even this though will only provide a reprieve of around 1 hour. The only really effective

remedy is to get some good quality sleep.

How do you recognize driver fatigue?

A number of symptoms can suggest driver fatigue, including:

• Yawning

• Tired Eyes

•Boredom

•Restlessness

•Aching

•The desire to eat or drink

Drivers who notice these symptoms should pull over to rest. Many major highways provide rest stops for this purpose; however it is important to pull all the way off the highway

into these rest stops to avoid collisions

What can you do if you feel sleepy during a journey?

Most drivers are aware when they feel tired but some make the decision to continue, thinking they will get

to their next destination and sleep, many do not make it to their next destination or they are involved in an

accident on the way.

You will know when you feel tired and you should pull off the road at a safe place and rest.

If you are in a sleeper cab sleep in the cab, if not then find a hotel or rest house, if you still have some

distance to go before a hotel then take a short nap and continue, but remember the effects of the nap

will quickly wear off.

Remember to call your Supervisor , it is possible that they can make arrangements for you to sleep at a rest

house close to you; they are there to help!

What can you do to avoid feeling sleepy during a journey?

• Make sure you get a good night’s sleep before setting off on a long journey and if your trip is over several nights ensure that you get a good night’s sleep whilst you are out

• You should also be required to take a rest for a minimum of 1 hour after every 4 hours of driving for heavy vehicles and a 15 minute break every 2 hours for light vehicles.

Travel with a passenger. An alert passengercan watch you for signs of fatigue. If you have afront seat passenger, they should remain awake

Remember you are your own supervisor when driving and your safety, as well as that of other road users, is

in your hands. Please be a responsible and professional driver.

Prepared By:Muhammad Talha Tariq