Do road users sufficiently recognise when they are tired and how do they remedy fatigue?

Answer

In general, car drivers think fatigued driving is dangerous and recognise their own signs of fatigue. They know which measures are effective, but do not take them or take ineffective measures (opening a window, turning up the music). This is shown by Australian simulator research [10] and also by comprehensive questionnaire studies in the Netherlands [9]. The Dutch study shows that car drivers take yawning, loss of concentration, and not being able to keep their eyes open as the most important indications of fatigue (mentioned by respectively 70%, 43% and 38% of the nearly 2,000 respondents). Yet, by no means all car drivers take adequate actions.  Approximately 20% indicated having started or kept driving while being too tired in their own eyes. For truck drivers the percentage was 37% [9].

Once drivers get tired, they may decide to stop driving to ‘take a nap’ or to ask a passenger to take the wheel. These are the two most effective strategies to prevent driving while being tired, both according to drivers themselves [9] and according to research [35] They are, however, not the most common strategies. Car drivers admit opting for fresh air in the car (opening a window or turning on the air conditioning), talking to a passenger, stopping to eat or move around, or turning up the music. However, these strategies do not work or work only briefly [35].

Truck drivers more often say that, when tired, they stop driving to take a rest or to sleep [9]. Obviously, driving time and rest period regulations also oblige them to do so (see the question Do regulations on driving time and rest period help prevent fatigue-related crashes? ).

Part of fact sheet

Fatigue

Driver fatigue is estimated to be a (contributing) factor in 15 to 20% of crashes, but estimates in individual studies vary widely.

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