Driver Safety - Understanding Driver Fatigue for Left-Side Drivers
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: Everyone needs sleep. Regardless of how much driving experience your employees have, they can't ignore their bodies' need for sleep. Driving while tired or fatigued can often be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It's important that your employees are able to recognize the signs and symptoms of driver fatigue and respond in a way that helps keep everyone safe. This subject will give learners an overview of what driver fatigue is, what can cause it, and how it can affect their ability to drive. It will also cover common signs and symptoms associated with driver fatigue and what they should do if they experience it. Note that the strategies presented do not replace proper medical help for those with sleep disorders. In these cases, employees should consult a medical professional about ways to combat fatigue without compromising their safety and the safety of others. The “What is Driver Fatigue?” topic should be taken prior to the “Tips for Preventing Driver Fatigue” topic.
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: Everyone needs sleep. Regardless of how much driving experience your employees have, they can't ignore their bodies' need for sleep. Driving while tired or fatigued can often be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It's important that your employees are able to recognize the signs and symptoms of driver fatigue and respond in a way that helps keep everyone safe. This subject will give learners an overview of what driver fatigue is, what can cause it, and how it can affect their ability to drive. It will also cover common signs and symptoms associated with driver fatigue and what they should do if they experience it. Note that the strategies presented do not replace proper medical help for those with sleep disorders. In these cases, employees should consult a medical professional about ways to combat fatigue without compromising their safety and the safety of others. The “What is Driver Fatigue?” topic should be taken prior to the “Tips for Preventing Driver Fatigue” topic.
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: Everyone needs sleep. Regardless of how much driving experience your employees have, they can't ignore their bodies' need for sleep. Driving while tired or fatigued can often be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It's important that your employees are able to recognize the signs and symptoms of driver fatigue and respond in a way that helps keep everyone safe. This subject will give learners an overview of what driver fatigue is, what can cause it, and how it can affect their ability to drive. It will also cover common signs and symptoms associated with driver fatigue and what they should do if they experience it. Note that the strategies presented do not replace proper medical help for those with sleep disorders. In these cases, employees should consult a medical professional about ways to combat fatigue without compromising their safety and the safety of others. The “What is Driver Fatigue?” topic should be taken prior to the “Tips for Preventing Driver Fatigue” topic.
Topics
What is Driver Fatigue? - Left-Side Drivers
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When your body is tired, it will act and behave differently and affect your ability to drive safely, no matter how much experience you have driving. It’s important that you can recognize the warning signs of driver fatigue so that you can react appropriately to keep yourself and others safe on the road. In this topic, you’ll learn what driver fatigue is, what can cause it, how it can affect you, the signs and symptoms associated with it, and what to do if you experience it. This topic should be taken before the “Tips for Preventing Driver Fatigue” topic.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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This topic is currently available in English.
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Driver fatigue refers to operating a vehicle while you’re tired. It can have a significant negative impact your ability to drive safely.
Anyone can experience driver fatigue regardless of how long they’ve been driving because fatigue is typically not caused by the act of driving.
There are several factors that can cause driver fatigue, including physical or mental tiredness, sleep deprivation, medical conditions or medications, long or irregular working hours, and even the time of day.
Driver fatigue can affect your ability to make safe decisions, make you less observant, reduce your reaction time, and make you more emotional or easily annoyed, all of which can increase the chances of you getting into an accident.
Physical symptoms of driver fatigue include:
· Frequent yawning
· Burning or heavy eyes and frequent blinking or eye rubbing
· Daydreaming or trouble remembering the drive
· Tunnel vision
· Nodding off, difficulty keeping your head up, or microsleeps/ falling asleep
Some signs that you may be experiencing driver fatigue are:
· Drifting from your lane or hitting rumble strips
· Trouble maintaining your speed
· Driving too close to others
· Missing exits, signs, or traffic lights
· Not checking your mirrors
If you experience signs or symptoms of driver fatigue, stop driving as soon as possible. Safely pull over, turn off your vehicle, and take a short, 10-20-minute nap to reset. Continue driving only once you feel alert and refreshed.
Tips for Preventing Driver Fatigue - Left-Side Drivers
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Driver fatigue is a serious issue and a prominent cause of accidents around the world, but it is easily preventable. In a previous topic, you learned what driver fatigue is and the effects, causes, signs, and symptoms of it. In this topic, you’ll learn a variety of tips and strategies you can use to prevent driver fatigue and reduce your risk of being in or causing an accident, especially on long drives. It’s important to note that nothing replaces actual sleep when it comes to dealing with driver fatigue safely. These strategies also do not replace proper medical help for those with sleep disorders. If you think you have a health problem affecting your sleep, you should consult a medical professional.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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This topic is currently available in English.
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Drinking caffeine in moderation can help temporarily increase your alertness while driving, but it should not be used as a replacement for sleep.
Avoid consuming any alcohol, drugs, certain medications, or lots of foods that are high in protein, carbohydrates, or sugar before you drive as these can make you feel tired.
Plan your route in advance and decide where and when you will take breaks along the way. This will help split up your trip and reduce your chances of experiencing driver fatigue since you won’t drive too many hours at once.
Try to take a break from driving every two hours. Safely pull over and walk around for at least 10 minutes before you drive again. This helps keep your body alert and energized, especially on long drives.
Regularly practice good sleeping habits and make sure you get enough sleep before you have to drive, especially if you’ll be driving for long periods of time.
If possible, try to avoid driving at times when you’re normally asleep (specifically between 12 am and 6 am). Your body is used to being asleep during these times, so it will have to work harder to stay awake.
When possible, drive with another person in the vehicle and take turns driving to allow one of you to rest while the other drives. This way, you can watch each other for signs of fatigue and limit the amount of total driving each of you has to do.
If you begin to feel fatigued, avoid using passive and distracting activities to try to stay awake. Things like cruise control, listening to loud music, eating sugary food, or adjusting the air conditioning might feel effective at first, but they won’t stop you from being tired.
