Schedules cause fatigu
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• by Pat Hagan Truck drivers should be given more autonomy to schedule their own breaks in a bid to avoid fatigue, according to medical researchers.
They made the recommendation after carrying out a study which revealed up to 28% of CV drivers suffer from fatiguerelated problems when driving.
Many drivers blamed their bosses for organising shifts and delivery schedules in a way that makes it difficult for them to take the breaks they need.
Professor Andy Guppy of Middlesex University and his research team questioned more than 600 truck drivers across 17 countries about how often they drove when tired; what time they started and finished work; and what distance they covered in a week.
They found that 14% of drivers carried on driving when they were tired and one in four blamed the way their shifts or workload were organised.
The drivers' hours regulations require drivers to take a 45-minute rest after four-anda-half hours on the road, or three 15-minute breaks spread over the same period. Total daily driving must not E nine hours, although ti week this can be exten 10 hours.
The study concludes research suggests that, feasible, more approaches to managii scheduling and sequerk deliveries assisted driv manage their own fatigu( lems through appn break-taking."
It also warns that th( sure of running a haulag ness has a direct impact vers and Increases the road accidents.