The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently published a study regarding short haul commercial truck drivers. Short haul, also called drayage, are trips by commercial drivers that can be completed within a single shift, often within 100 miles of the home base. Researchers chose short haul drivers because most work over 50 hours a week and have more rigorous work demands, as short haul drivers are cited frequently for work log violations.
The study videotaped 42 drivers, aged 19 to 57, for two consecutive weeks in order to characterize their drowsiness and the impact of drowsiness on their driving abilities. The video cameras were activated with the engine ignition, providing a true glimpse into driver behavior and safety performance. A total of 2,745 drowsy events were identified in approximately 900 total hours of driving. Thus, the rate of drowsy occurrences for all drivers combined was 3.1 events per hour of driving. Such drowsy occurrences ranged from excessive blinking, yawning, and shifting in the driver’s seat, to drivers closing their eyes completely.
The most startling data that researchers found was that most drowsy occurrences were noted between 6 a.m and 9 a.m, with more than 30 percent of all drowsiness amongst drivers being recorded during the first hour of their shift. This suggests that drivers may not be fully refreshed and awake when they begin their workday, as the long hours, monotony, and erratic meal and rest times all contribute to driver fatigue.
Because of their extensive mileage, commercial drivers’ risk of being involved in a drowsiness -related crash is far greater than that of non-commercial drivers, even though commercial drivers represent a relatively small percentage of all drivers.