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4.1Gaps in research

Limited research internationally has indicated that lane and speed restrictions for heavy vehicles can improve road safety on some roads. Future research should seek to evaluate the effectiveness of such strategies on Australian freight routes. For example, the South Australian Government has recently initiated a strategy involving lane and speed restrictions and increased signage for trucks descending the South Eastern Freeway between Crafers and Adelaide. This presents an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of such strategies under Australian conditions.

Anecdotally there is evidence that the drive for improved safety in the design of heavy vehicles and trailers is driven more by the consumer than by imposed regulations however, no research addressing this issue was identified. The introduction of design rules and regulations regarding the aggressivity and crashworthiness1 of heavy vehicles has the potential to improve the safety of all vehicles bought and sold in Australia. As such research into the mechanisms that influence the adoption of safer vehicles may shed light on this issue. Such research would also prove useful for informing either the need to introduce regulation or the form such regulations should take. It would also be useful to monitor developments with heavy vehicle safety features as implemented in other markets such as Europe.

There is a body of literature describing the development of digital short range communications (DSRC) and the potential safety implications such technologies have. However, to date no real evaluations of the effectiveness or safety benefits of DSRC technologies have been conducted. Research is required to determine the effectiveness of these technologies and the manner in which they can best be utilised.

Safety technologies will continue to be developed and evolve to deliver improved performance and functionality. Additionally, due to the costs associated with purchasing and implementing new technologies, evaluations of the safety and productivity benefits of new and existing technologies is warranted. Such research will enable operators within the trucking industry to make informed decisions with regard to the best technology solutions for their operations.
There are some indications that the Intelligent Access Program (IAP) provides a cost-effective option for monitoring heavy vehicles’ use of the road network. At the same time, IAP may also benefit heavy vehicle road safety and productivity however no formal published evaluations could be found. Industry perceptions regarding the validity and effectiveness of the IAP are less favourable (B. McKinley, personal communication, May 12, 2011). Given this, there may be opportunities with the creation of the new national regulator to fine tune the IAP program to take into account the experiences of key stakeholders from within the trucking industry.

5Human and social factors


This section is devoted to the human and social factors that influence heavy vehicle safety. It addresses health, sleep and fatigue issues (including fatigue management), substance use, and driver training.

Table 5 .10 addresses general aspects of human factors such as driver training, attitudes, and general behavioural issues. Table 5 .11 addresses aspects of health and fitness to drive (with the exception of fatigue), and Tables Table 5 .12 and Table 5 .13 address issues of sleep, fatigue, and fatigue management. Table 5 .14 addresses issues related to the use of licit and illicit substances.


Human factors and heavy vehicle road safety


With regard to general human factors (attitudes and behaviour) and fitness to drive some general conclusions to be drawn from the studies outlined in Table 5 .10 and Table 5 .11 include:

  • Training drivers in techniques to drive more economically by learning to flow with the traffic has no negative impact on travel time and may have added safety benefits.

  • It appears that training or systems that provide drivers with feedback or information regarding the effects of their driving can improve their safety.

  • The use of seat belts among HV drivers remains much lower than that of passenger vehicle users.

  • Studies of heavy vehicle drivers skills conducted in Canada have indicated that drivers with poor literacy or numeracy skills are more likely to be involved in safety related incidents than drivers whose skills meet the required standard.

  • Studies of the effects of common prescription medications on driving performance are lacking, representing an area that would benefit from further research.

  • Truck driving has been associated with a number of health outcomes, particularly obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and sleep apnoea.

  • Depression, anxiety, and substance use, among HV drivers is comparable with the general Australian population however, they face more barriers to seeking treatment. These factors are also associated with an increased risk of crashing. Improving access to treatment will benefit drivers and their safety on the road.


The relationships between driving performance, crashes, fatigue and sleep-related factors in the heavy vehicle industry


There is a large pool of research investigating the influence of fatigue and sleep-related factors on driving performance and crashes in both commercial and non-commercial drivers. This research covers a diverse range of topics including the prevalence of sleepy driving and sleep related crashes, the risk of crash associated with driving while sleepy, and the severity of sleep-related crashes. Factors that may lead to fatigue/sleepiness are also often considered such as time of day, circadian rhythm, sleep disorders, and prior sleep. There is also a wealth of research on countermeasures, fatigue detection technologies, and performance impairments (both general human performance and driving performance) that occur due to fatigue. Table 5 .12 summarises some of this research.

One important difficulty in fatigue research is the variation in the definition of fatigue in different studies. Perspectives on the definition of fatigue change both within and between disciplines and therefore there is not one single accepted definition of fatigue among researchers. Although some researchers have tried to incorporate definitions into a single concept, these efforts have not been accepted. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the effects of fatigue multi-disciplinary definitions need to be refined and there must be some agreement between researchers. In the mean time, individuals attempting to make sense of the literature must take into account differing definitions and the effect this may have on results. Therefore, in order to gain a more complete picture of the influence of fatigue in the heavy vehicle industry, research considered in this section has included studies investigating fatigue, sleepiness, and drowsiness of varied definitions and determined by a range of methodologies.



From the research listed in Table 5 .12, there are a number of trends which can be highlighted, some of these include:

  • Truck drivers may be at greater risk of fatigue and sleepiness related crashes due to the nature of their work hours (e.g., night shifts and long working hours), their work conditions (e.g., stress, monotony), and their lifestyle (e.g., risk of medical conditions including sleep disorders due to sedentary lifestyle, for further information see Table 5 .13).

  • Fatigue has been associated with an increased risk of crashing in a large number of studies. The extent of this risk depends on the severity of fatigue as well as the method of data collection and analysis in the various research studies. Inexperienced or young truck drivers may be at greater risk of being involved in a fatigue-related crash.

  • A large proportion of fatal truck crashes are likely due to fatigue; drivers of articulated trucks are likely to have a greater risk of being involved in a fatigue related crash. Fatigue is a concern with regard to drivers of articulated trucks as, on average, these vehicles travel much further distances than all other vehicle types (ABS, 2008). Due to the greater risk of sleep-related crashes, the nature of sleep related crashes (e.g., often no avoidance manoeuvre is involved) and the size of trucks involved (meaning there is a greater force transfer during crashes), the severity of fatigue related truck crashes is of concern and demonstrates the importance of this issue.

  • Fatigue leads to performance impairment, both in general human performance, and driving ability. Specifically, fatigue can lead to impairment in attention and reaction times, perception of bodily movements and position, tracking tasks, and more complex tasks compared to simple tasks. Vehicle control variables including lane and steering control are also likely to be impaired due to fatigue. The effect of fatigue on performance impairment is not small and has been previously compared to alcohol related impairment.

  • The prevalence of chronic partial sleep restriction is more common than total sleep deprivation. This is of importance as recovery from chronic partial sleep deprivation is not as rapid as that of total sleep deprivation and impairment may last over several days even with recovery sleep. Due to the working conditions of truck drivers, this population is likely to be more exposed to chronic partial sleep deprivation in everyday life.

  • There are a large number of factors that are likely to lead to fatigue. Well known factors include the circadian rhythm and time of day, work arrangements (including hours of service and work-related pressures), opportunities for rest breaks, prior sleep debt and so on. However, there are many other less recognised factors which are likely to contribute to fatigue (for an extensive but not exhaustive list, see Milia, Smolensky, Costa, Howarth, Ohayon & Philip, 2011).

  • The use of stimulants (particularly amphetamines) to combat the effects of fatigue by some drivers in the trucking industry is of concern. Truck drivers who use amphetamines to combat fatigue may be at greater risk of a fatigue-related crash. Amphetamines fail to overcome the performance decrements associated with fatigue and other performance impairments are associated with the use of amphetamines.

  • Fatigue detection technologies are improving over time, however those which are currently available still require further validation before they are implemented in trucking companies.

  • Evaluations of rest areas and prescribed driving hours suggest that some aspects of the regulated driving hours are incompatible with the provision of rest stop facilities. Furthermore, in many instances the provision of rest stops is inconsistent with prescribed standards. Stakeholders within the trucking industry argue that the driving hour limitations may restrict drivers from reaching a suitable destination to take prescribed rest break within the allotted time. However, a survey of long-haul drivers (Sadural et al, 2001) suggests the main reasons for drivers exceeding permitted driving hours regulations were mainly associated with reward factors.

  • There is evidence of discrepancies between driver and industry perceptions with regard to fatigue management: managers within the industry think fatigue is well managed, however driver reports are less favourable.
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