This report focuses on the issue of driving while tired and the seriousness of crashes involving drivers affected by fatigue. Since the invention of the electric light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1879 there has been a significant reduction in the average hours of sleep obtained each night. This, combined with longer working hours and more recent technologies such as the internet, has led to a society that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week where daily fatigue is an issue. The primary purpose of this report is to examine the involvement of driver and rider fatigue in road crashes in Queensland. Our recommendations to Parliament aim to reduce the incidence of fatigue-related crashes. Fatigue was a contributing factor in five per cent of the total reported crashes and in 13 per cent of fatal crashes in Queensland for 2003. Thus, fatigue is greatly over-represented in fatal crashes. These statistics, however, are likely to underestimate the actual number of fatiguerelated crashes due to the difficulty in defining fatigue and accurately identifying drivers affected by fatigue. Although fatigue has a dramatic impact on road safety, its causes and effects are not limited to the road. The recommendations from this report are designed to work jointly to produce an overall reduction in fatigue and, particularly, fatigue-related crashes. The committee made recommendations regarding fatigue driving policies and legislation, raising awareness of the problem and countermeasures. (Author/publisher)
Abstract