Driver Fatigue
This simple but powerful little video was sent to us by Tony Anthony who recently experienced a potentially deadly scare whilst at the wheel. He ‘ummmed’ and ‘ahhhed’ about it and thought, “well I made for that very reason, to ‘get it out there”, It was inspired by the efforts of Sara Jane from Riskology (see her video below and first published here). Would make a great icebreaker at your next safety training session or a great topic for a toolbox talk, particularly before a weekend or holiday period. PLEASE HELP TONY SHARE THIS MESSAGE.
Recommend Reading: Journey Safety and Risk Management Plans
Did you know you’re more than four times more likely to have a fatal fatigue crash if you are driving between 10pm and 6am. That’s because most people’s body’s circadian rhythms are programming them to want to sleep.
Driving when you are sleep deprived, especially late at night and early in the morning, increases the risk of having a ‘microsleep’ and losing control of your vehicle.
If you fall into a micro sleep and nod off at 100 km/h, you’ll travel 100 metres in just four seconds, unconscious. Think about what could happen in that distance in that time – trees, pedestrians, other vehicles, light poles, cliff edges…….
Have a good think about the messages in Tony’s video and don’t ignore the early warning signs of fatigue:
- Yawning
- Poor concentration
- Tired eyes
- Restlessness
- Drowsiness
- Slow reactions
- Boredom
- Oversteering
Powerful video by Sara Jane from Riskology and first published here.
Check out Volvo’s new “Driver Alert” system – No more falling asleep at the wheel????? Includes some sobering statistics about the number of accidents caused by driver fatigue:
Do you have any thoughts? Please share them below