Driver Fatigue

Abstract

Psychological fatigue is defined as a subjectively experienced disinclination to continue performing the task at hand. It generally impairs human efficiency when individuals continue working after they have become aware of their fatigue. It does not depend on energy expenditure and cannot be measured simply in terms of performance impairment. The interacting causal contributions to fatigue are the length of continuous work spells and daily duty periods, time available for rest and continuous sleep, and the arrangement of duty, rest, and sleep periods within each 24-h cycle. Empirical evidence for the separate and combined effects of these factors on fatigue, performance decrement, and accident risk are briefly reviewed, and the implications of these findings for driving and road safety are considered, with particular reference to the professional driver. This study shows that fatigue is insufficiently recognized and reported as a cause of road accidents and that its effects stem largely from prolonged and irregular working hours, rather than simply from time spent at the wheel.

Electroencephalogram assessment of mental fatigue in visual search

“…Fatigue can lead to distractibility and provokes lapses in information processing [4]. In other words, when one persists in continuing the current work as normal, efficiency and performance can be reduced during fatigue [5]. Therefore, the detection and evaluation of fatigue will be helpful for the early assessment of mental fatigue levels.…”

A Strategically Timed Verbal Task Improves Performance and Neurophysiological Alertness During Fatiguing Drives

“…Fatigue in a driving context manifests itself as drowsiness, a disinclination to keep driving, or in some cases falling asleep behind the wheel (Brown, 1994). The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA; 2011) reported an annual average of 83,000 fatigue related crashes per year from 2005 to 2009.…”

The Effect of Rest-Schedule Orientation on Sleep Quality of Commercial Drivers

“…Common causes of sleep loss include sleep restriction and sleep fragmentation. Sleep restriction affects the quantity of sleep and can result from work demands, medication, family responsibilities, or personal and lifestyle factors [Lyznicki et al, 1998]; irregular work schedules that curtail the periods available for continuous rest and sleep [Brown, 1994]; or splitting sleep taken in a sleeper berth into two or more rest periods [Hertz, 1988]. Sleep fragmentation affects both the quantity and quality of sleep [Neylan and Reynolds, 1991] and can be caused by obstructive sleep apnea [Phillipson, 1993]; psychiatric disorders including depression [Mendelson, 1987]; personality characteristics of neuroticism and anxiety [Dorsey, 1991]; and excessive noise or concern about personal safety while resting in the sleeper berth of a heavy truck [Neale, 1998].…”