A SAFE PLACE TO REST
Even the most skillful truck driver becomes a highway hazard if deprived of sleep, but finding an appropriate place to stop and take a much-needed rest is a challenge for many truckers. In a 1999 survey, more than 36% of truck drivers said that finding a rest area is which to park is a problem every night. More than 80% said that at least once a week they continue to drive past the point of feeling safe and alert because they cannot find a place to stop and rest. In a 1997 survey of 593 long-distance truck drivers randomly selected at private truck stops and public rest areas in New York, 25% said that at least once during the last year they had fallen asleep while driving, and 17% said it occurred on more than one occasion. The frequency of not finding a parking space at a rest area--80% of the drivers reported that they were always or often unable to find a parking space at a public rest area at night--was associated with drivers who fell asleep at the wheel in the past year and a tendency to violate regulations. When asked what, if anything, discouraged their use of public rest areas in New York, 51% cited inadequate parking. Other common responses were enforcement of the 2-hour parking limit (28%), prostitution/solicitation (16%), lack of security (15%), and poor or expensive food (14%). The Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration are working on a solution. A report to Congress on the status of rest parking for truckers, along with recommendations for addressing shortages, is due in June 2001. A sidebar outlines the seven top concerns identified during a 1999 Rest Area Forum in Atlanta, Georgia, and some of the recommendations offered.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1586080
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Corporate Authors:
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Authors:
- Koklanaris, M
- Publication Date: 2000-3
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Photos; References;
- Pagination: p. 15-18
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Serial:
- Public Roads
- Volume: 63
- Issue Number: 5
- Publisher: Federal Highway Administration
- ISSN: 0033-3735
- Serial URL: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/
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Publication flags:
Open Access (libre)
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Drowsiness; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Hazards; Highway safety; Parking facilities; Recommendations; Rest periods; Roadside rest areas; Sleep deprivation; Surveys; Traffic safety; Truck drivers; Truck facilities
- Identifier Terms: U.S. Department of Transportation; U.S. Federal Highway Administration; U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Geographic Terms: New York (State)
- Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00790633
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, USDOT
- Created Date: Apr 10 2000 12:00AM