Driver Fatigue Week Targets Truckie Fatigue

Published on 21 February 2023

A new national road safety campaign, National Driver Fatigue Week  (21 -27 February), is asking drivers of Australia’s heavy vehicles to start every shift with the question : ‘How will you manage your driver fatigue today?’

Driver fatigue is one of the 3 big killers on Australian roads. It is the number one cause of fatal crashes in the heavy vehicle industry.

Orange and Cabonne Councils launched the first ‘Power Nap’ campaign last year funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) as an intervention strategy to prevent fatal fatigue crashes across the heavy vehicle fleet.

Orange Deputy Mayor Cr Gerald Power said the option of a power nap can be a valuable tool for drivers to manage fatigue.

“Sooner or later every truckie will face driver fatigue and the consequences can be fatal. For many a simple 15-20 minute power nap can overt a tragedy, “Cr Gerald Power said.  “I’m pleased the focus for National Driver Fatigue Week this year is encouraging truckies to make sure every pre-start checklist includes the work health and safety question about managing fatigue”.

Cabonne Council Mayor Kevin Beatty believes power naps can work for drivers.

“A power nap is a short sleep that terminates before deep sleep. It is intended to quickly revitalise an individual,” Cr Kevin Beatty said. “The benefit of a power nap is that it improves concentration and situation awareness.”

During driver fatigue pop up events at roadhouses on the Newell Highway, truck drivers surveyed had little or no knowledge of benefits of a power nap or what a power nap was and how to implement it.

Road Safety Officer for Cabonne and Orange City Councils, Andrea Hamilton-Vaughan, believes the the power nap campaign has been very successful reaching individual drivers who are now reporting report they use power naps to manage their driver fatigue regularly.

“Long term change will only be realised where educational materials support each other, and key messages are repeated over time,” Ms Hamilton-Vaughan said. “This is why National Driver Fatigue week is valuable for the heavy vehicle industry to highlight the number one cause of fatal and injury crashes nationwide”.

You read more here, or see below for a guide on power naps.