A preliminary statistical link is established between truck driver fatigue and truck accident rates, where fatigue could be a contributory factor. Two criteria are used to identify driver fatigue in the police accident report: fatigue reported as a primary cause of the accident, and fatigue as inferred from the report using indirect measures, such as "driver being at-fault in a single vehicle accident". Truck accident rates are estimated for different fatigue criteria and linked to factors such as hours of driving per day without rest, driving at night, and driving in remote areas. Significantly higher fatigue accident rates were obtained for driving longer than 9.5 hours per day without rest, for driving at night, and for driving in remote areas. These factors were found to have a cumulative effect on fatigue-related truck accident rates. (A)
Abstract