Driver fatigue impairs judgment and increases erratic driving behavior, which may affect the driver’s health and well-being, cause crashes, and endanger other road users.
Driver fatigue is dangerous and costly. Way before you fall asleep at the wheel, even with eyes wide open, you will make mistakes when you’re tired. Some mistakes are monetary, like extending the route by missing an exit; others may cost your career, your liberty, or your or someone else’s life. That is why it is so important to know how to manage fatigue. The North American Fatigue Management Program offers the following five recommendations.
1. Don’t just prioritize alertness and wellness — make them your values
When in a rush, you may skip breakfast and exercise before work, even if both are your priorities. However, you would never go out the door naked. Why? Because dressing is a value to you. Likewise, you should never go out the door without proper sleep and never drive when you’re tired, because you know the value of proper, restorative sleep. Your alertness depends on your sleep hygiene, mindfulness, positive relationships, nutrition, and exercise. The common denominator of these five keys to wellness is that they reduce the physical and mental stress of truck driving.
2. Align schedules and routes with circadian rhythm and sleep pressure
Whenever possible, align your schedule with your natural sleep-wake cycles. Plan routes to avoid driving during peak fatigue hours, which are typically 2-6 a.m. Plan where to park so you may rest or nap before your sleep pressure builds up.
Caffeine blocks the sleep pressure and stays in your body for about eight hours. Stop taking caffeine in the eight hours before sleep so it will not interfere when you need that pressure.
3. Recognize objective signs of fatigue
Do not rely on your opinion to determine whether you are alert enough to drive. Instead, recognize objective signs of fatigue, such as eyelid drop, yawning, wandering thoughts, swaying or jerking head movements, reduced field of vision, fidgeting, adjusting the HVAC, crossing the rumble strip, drift and jerk steering, delayed or incorrect responses, and — the worst sign — microsleeps. If you start to experience any of these signs of fatigue, stop driving as soon as possible and nap for up to 20 minutes (before deep sleep) or 90 minutes (through an entire sleep cycle) to avoid sleep inertia and grogginess upon awakening.
4. Get screened for sleep apnea
Being sleep-deprived or suffering from a sleep disorder will make you susceptible to fatigue. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder and greatly deteriorates your alertness and health. Compliant treatment will allow you to continue driving successfully. Get regular screenings and seek medical assistance if you experience excessive daytime sleepiness even after several nights of sufficient sleep.
5. Use fatigue-detection technologies as the last line of defense
Utilize in-cab monitoring systems that track your driving behavior, such as lane-departure warnings, forward-collision warnings, and eye-tracking technology. However, do not depend solely on these technologies; address the underlying causes of fatigue mentioned earlier.
