Fatigue is a condition that affects almost all drivers. It is associated with long-distance driving, especially in the freight industry.
Today, the Directorate: Road Safety Management (RSM) of the Department of Transport and Public Works conducted a freight driver fatigue management awareness session in Paarl in partnership with Western Cape Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and provincial Traffic Law Enforcement.
The intervention aimed to create awareness among freight drivers about the dangers of driving in a fatigued state. Trucks were stopped by traffic officers to check vehicle fitness. This gave RSM road safety officers the opportunity to speak to drivers about how to manage fatigue while driving. Drivers were referred to EMS staff to check their blood sugar levels and to check for signs of high blood pressure.
Signs of fatigue include trouble with keeping one’s eyes open, struggling to pay attention, and frequent yawning. Freight drivers were encouraged:
- to plan long trips in advance so that they could take a planned rest break at least every 2 hours or every 200 km;
- to plan to stay somewhere overnight on a long journey;
- to share the driving on a long trip and to rest when not driving; and
- to try not to drive when they would normally be asleep (early in the morning and late at night).
For more information on freight driver fatigue management, contact Nokuzola Letselebe, Acting Deputy Director: Road Safety Management, tel. 021 483 6986 or email Nokuzola.Letselebe@westerncape.gov.za.