Professional Drivers’ Fatigue as a Problem of the Modern Era

All around the world numerous studies have been carried out and indicated that 20–50% of commercial vehicle accidents occur because of fatigue. Professional drivers represent an important category of drivers who are present in traffic on a daily basis transporting passengers or goods and their responsibility is at a very high level. These drivers are most exposed to the impact of fatigue. The review of the literature has provided three main factors which can influence the onset of fatigue: sleep factors, work factors, health factors. The main aim of this study was to determine the influence of the three main factors of fatigue between bus and truck drivers in the Republic of Serbia. The survey has been conducted among bus and truck drivers who are employed in transportation companies across the Republic of Serbia. The research consists of collecting and analyzing bus and truck drivers’ answers according to the above-mentioned factors which influence the occurrence of fatigue. In this study the authors have found that circadian rhythm, sleep and work factors have an impact on drivers’ fatigue. On the other side, time of going to sleep has no impact on the quality of sleep and on fatigue. The results show that if the drivers work over the legal limit, they are 3 times more likely to sleep less than 6 h in 24 h and if they sleep less than 6 h, it is likely that the poor quality of their sleep will be 8 times higher. The poor quality of sleep reduces driver performance, and therefore increases the risk of accidents. Two of 3 investigated factors have an impact on the occurrence of fatigue. The third factor, health factor, should be examined in more detail, and other elements should be analyzed in order to determine their influence on the fatigue.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2018.03.010
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136984781630314X
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13698478
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Davidovic, Jelica
  • Pešic, Dalibor
  • Antic, Boris
• Publication Date: 2018-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 199-209
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
  • Volume: 55
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1369-8478
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13698478

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus drivers; Occupational safety; Physiological fatigue; Professional drivers; Sleep; Truck drivers
• Geographic Terms: Serbia
• Subject Areas: Highways; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01670011
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 22 2018 5:22PM