Did you know?
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10-20%
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Of all crashes are estimated to be caused by driver fatigue
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| 6am |
Drivers are 20 times more likely to fall asleep at the wheel at 6am than at 10pm |
| 1 in 8 |
Drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel.*
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Truck drivers face unique challenges that can often lead to exhaustion and fatigue, something that everyone needs to be aware of and to act on. Both driver fatigue and stress can increase errors of judgement, reduce reaction times, and impair decision-making, significantly escalating the risk of road accidents.
What Are the Main Causes of Driver Fatigue?
There are several causes of driver fatigue, including:
- Long hours on the road combined with tight delivery schedules - Truck drivers are required to balance a busy delivery schedule with long hours on the road. The pressure to meet tight delivery deadlines can cause drivers to push themselves beyond legal or acceptable driving hours, resulting in fatigue and stress.
- Sleep patterns – Truck driving involves irregular working hours, making it challenging for drivers to maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
- Monotonous and repetitive driving conditions – Long periods of driving can become monotonous and boring, leading to a decline in concentration and an increase in the risk of road accidents.
- Driver lifestyle – Truck drivers often find themselves eating unhealthily and that, combined with a lack of physical exercise, can contribute to both physical and mental fatigue.
What Can You Do to Support Your Drivers?
Businesses across the logistics industry are taking responsibility for their driver wellbeing. One way they are doing this is by actively requesting access to our added-value Driver Training + Programme.
The Driver Training + Programme, is our tailored training that helps your drivers to develop their skills. This course is free of charge to any customers who acquire a commercial vehicle from us (including Dawsondirect (used sales)).
The benefits make it all worthwhile and include:
Cost-saving:
- Minimising downtime and servicing costs.
- Improving load sympathy.
- Minimising accident-related damage.
- Reducing fuel efficiency.
Brand Image:
- Improving your driver’s road safety.
- Enhancing your professional image.
Environment:
- Reducing CO2 emissions.
- Reducing NOx emissions.
- Reducing noise pollution.
Wellbeing:
- Reducing driver stress and fatigue.
- Improving product familiarisation.
- Meeting Health & Safety legislation.
The programme can be delivered on- or off-site and is tailored to your business’ specific requirements, including topics such as:
- Improving fuel efficiency
- Control and function familiarisation
- RoSPA-approved Level-2 training in Defensive Driving.
Our Driver Training + Programme comes highly recommended by our customers who are looking to both optimise their transport and at the same time improve their drivers mental and physical wellbeing. The course is completely customised for you, your drivers and what you want to achieve on the day. Not only will it save you money, but it enhances your brand image, it is great for the environment, and it will improve your driver’s wellbeing – in my mind it’s a win-win.
If you are interested to find out more about our Driver Training + Programme, please contact me by email daveshakespeare@dawsongroup.co.uk or call 07711 346585.
(*Source: https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/driver-fatigue#:~:text=Police%20statistics%20show%20that%20fatigue,can't%20test%20for%20tiredness)