Heavy vehicle driver fatigue – evidence-based policy making

1. Heavy vehicle driver fatigue – evidence-based policy making Australasian Road Safety Conference 2015 Nick Fischer

2. NTI-NTARC research findings • 2013 data / 2015 report • National crashes ≥$50k loss • Fatigue contributed to 20% of crashes in 2007 • National HV fatigue regulatory reform 2008 • Rate halved in 2009 • Climbing since 2009 • 2013 worst result (12.8%) since 2009

3. National Transport Commission leads regulatory and operational reform nationally to meet the needs of transport users and the broader community for safe, efficient and sustainable land transport.

4. Today’s presentation • National heavy vehicle fatigue data framework • what it is • why it is necessary • Current heavy vehicle driver fatigue regulation • Concerns about current regulation • How framework might improve safety and regulation

5. National Heavy Vehicle Fatigue Data Framework • Collect and distribute better data on role of sleepiness & fatigue in heavy vehicle crashes to produce better fatigue regulation • NTC collaborating with National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, state transport agencies, police, industry and sleep & fatigue experts • New data collection, new research, new processes

6. National HV fatigue data framework • Improve understanding of fatigue impairment in various areas including: • Impact of higher-risk driving schedules • Sleep quality and quantity in rest breaks • Impact of night driving • Health and well-being of drivers

7. Historical challenges • How we define/decide when a crash is caused (even in part) by fatigue • Excessive time formulating and agreeing on national regulations • Different operational definitions of fatigue-related crashes • Different statistics in different states

8. HV driver fatigue in the law • Duty of driver to avoid driving while fatigued • Defined as “feeling sleepy” • Duty of 3rd parties to ensure business practices will not cause driver to be fatigued • Regulating driver hours of work and rest • Supported by industry schemes and initiatives

9. Regulating hours of work and rest • Standard hours - up to 12 hours work in 24 hours • Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) - 14 hours work in 24 hours • Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) – safety management systems (approved by NHVR) • Work diary record keeping (compliance) for drivers working 100km+ from base

10. Effectiveness of HVNL rules • Current knowledge is patchy • HENCE national heavy vehicle fatigue data framework project • IF law is to change to address government and industry concerns better evidence MUST be produced

11. Government & Police concerns • Length of the major rest break • “Standard hours” mandates one 7-hour major rest break in 24-hour period • Fatigue experts believe 5-8 hours sleep required – depends on individual • Better data needed to determine if current sleep opportunity is adequate

12. Government & Police concerns (contd.) • Nose-to-Tail schedules • Review of the counting time rule genesis of project • When a counting period begins and ends • Possible to work 1st long shift, followed by major rest break, followed by 2nd long shift • Up to 16.25 hours in a “24 hour period” • Fatigue impact clouded because of major rest break

13. Understanding nose-to-tail

14. Current counting rules • 12 hours • 13th hour • 13th hour • 12 hours • Major Rest Break

15. Government & Police concerns (contd.) • Additional hours of work under BFM • Measure impact of additional hours in BFM (and AFM) • Are there sufficient counter measures for extra working hours? • How many fatigue crashes involve BFM and AFM drivers?

16. Industry concerns • Poor fitness for work, especially from pre-trip insufficient sleep & rest • Availability & quality of rest stop • Quality of sleep in rest breaks • Driver’s work schedule

17. Fatigue & sleep experts • Insufficient rest opportunity (sleep quality & quantity) • Night driving (especially concluding 12-6 am) • Length of work opportunity • Impact of local work

18. Quantity and quality of sleep • Understand impact of: • minimum rest breaks on sleep patterns • quantity &quality of sleep attained by drivers • extent to which rest breaks reduce sleepiness • placement of rest breaks in work cycle

19. Night driving • Impact of night driving on alertness • especially when ending a long shift in circadian nadir (midnight to 6 am) • Are counter measures for night time driving sufficient? • What workplace environmental factors can reduce the impact of night driving?

20. Impact of local work • Measure impact of local work on driver • especially in re: traffic congestion and tight deadlines • Critique current practice of not applying record keeping requirements to drivers performing “local work” in work diary • i.e. up to 100 km from “base”

21. Driver well-being and fitness • Improve understanding of driver wellbeing and fitness, especially: • fitness for duty prior to commencing work • undiagnosed and untreated medical conditions eg. sleep apnoea

22. How could the framework help? • Improve and standardise identification and categorisation of role of fatigue in crashes • Fatigue involved? Yes or No • Fatigue likelihood scale • Fatigue impact scale • Fatigue management program • Standard hours / BFM / AFM • When did driver last sleep? • How much quality sleep / quality of recent sleep

23. Data opportunities • De-identified compliance and enforcement data • De-identified industry data & surveys • Research data

24. Data opportunities (contd.) • Research data • field studies on fatigue impact of schedules • data fusion & modelling fatigue impact of different schedules • objective sleep monitoring during rest periods • screen and manage driver sleep disorders

25. NTC welcomes feedback • Recommendations to ministers in 2016 • What are the key issues? • What are key data? • Do you have valuable data to share? • nfischer@ntc.gov.au • jwilliams@ntc.gov.au