Fatigue Awareness

Fatigue is one of the most common problems among rideshare, taxi, hire car and limousine drivers. Drivers often experience long hours, vast distances of travel and unusual work hours that may result in tiredness, a lack of concentration and depleted energy.

A study by the Queensland government showed that being awake for 17 hours had a similar effect on performance as having a blood alcohol reading of 0.05 which is the equivalent of two standard drinks. Many deaths and serious injuries on our roads have been due to fatigue related vehicle accidents.

From an industry perspective, taxis, limousines, hire cars and rideshare have very limited regulations in place for driver fatigue management, unlike the heavy vehicle industry.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator for instance has a complete Fatigue Management policy in place and accredited course framework to teach drivers about fatigue, with legislation in place to count work and rest time and provide training in Fatigue Risk Management.

Currently on Australia’s roads there are approximately 240,000 vehicles being used as commercial passenger transport vehicles (taxis, hire cars, limousines and rideshare) and over 300,000 people are registered to drive these vehicles.

Some of the Booking entities have implemented basic Fatigue Management policies, both online and through their apps, which is a great start. But this does not stop drivers from switching from one ride hailing app to another, or from one type of work to another, and then continuing their driving.

Not having a proper Fatigue Management policy in place for personalised passenger transport is a serious oversight and one that should be remedied by all State government regulators.

The onus therefore is on the operator and the driver to ensure that Fatigue Management is addressed and taught to avoid negligence and increase safety for drivers and passengers alike. The best practice to enhance safety and awareness of fatigue is through education.

One of Transport Alliance Australia’s corporate sponsors, DRVR Training, has developed a Fatigue Management course, comprising 23 lessons, that has been specially designed to give drivers an in-depth understanding of;

• Driver fatigue and the consequences
• Importance of sleep
• Causes of fatigue from medical issues, lifestyle choices or psychological problems
• Detecting fatigue
• Preventing fatigue
• Ensuring safety at the wheel

Take Fatigue Management seriously and ensure your drivers are fully trained in Fatigue Management – it could save lives!