A new report released today by NRMA driver training has found that 65 per cent of the 470 participants surveyed in 2017 admitted to driving beyond the recommended two hours before taking a break.
Dead Tired, which is part of the Road Safety series from the NRMA, showed that 82 people lost their lives last year due to fatigue, the highest since 2008. The report has been released in the lead-up to Christmas at a time when the state’s road toll is three higher than the same time last year.
Dead Tired calls on Governments to increase the number of rest stops to accommodate both heavy and light vehicles and conduct an audit of the existing rest stops across the country. The report has been endorsed by NSW Police and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.
The survey of corporate driver training participants was conducted at the end of each day-long program, which reinforces important road safety messages to people who drive for a living. The issue of fatigue is a key part of the curriculum.
The report calls for fleet companies to adopt technology that helps identify and address fatigue. This year, the NRMA launched its telematics solution, Connected, which provides fleet managers with real-time data about employees’ driving and helps alert them to breaches of safe driving time limits.
Dead Tired calls for the adoption of tactile line marking on high risk rural roads known for fatigue-related crashes. It also calls for fatigue education campaigns targeting new parents.
NRMA Chairman Tim Trumper said driving after being awake for 17 hours was equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05, so it was crucial that drivers rested before driving these holidays.
“Fatigue is a major killer on our roads and the NRMA corporate driver training survey has shown that too many people think it is okay to drive tired,” Mr Trumper said.
“People who drive for a living, young drivers and new parents struggling with a lack of sleep are at particular risk. However, Australians are notoriously bad sleepers with 40 per cent of adults suffering from inadequate sleep so the issue is relevant to the whole community, especially at Christmas time.
“The NRMA also wants to debunk the myth that fatigue only kicks in during long journeys – we know that tiredness can impact on a driver’s ability even on short journeys.”
Dead Tired also points to the important role technology can play to address fatigue behind the wheel, with many new vehicles now including lane departure warning technology. Companies are also adopting technology that sets off sound alarms and seat vibrations when they detect a micro sleep.
“The risk of fatigue on our roads will be significantly reduced with the onset of automated vehicles, however until this occurs, we must look to technology to save lives,” Mr Trumper said.
“At the end of the day the onus must be on drivers to be alert to the risks of driving tired, recognise the symptoms and rest up before driving.”
For information about the NRMA corporate driver training program and NRMA Connected visit www.mynrma.com.au
