How Can Telematics Reduce the Dangerous Risk of Driver Fatigue?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) driver fatigue causes 100,000 collisions per year which leads to the injury of over 40,000 people. More than 1,500 lives are lost.
Even more concerning is the fact that this number is only an estimate. Why? Because law enforcement may overlook driver fatigue as the cause of many accidents.
Is your fleet management team staying on top of driver fatigue? Without telematics software, it’s difficult to keep track of driver hours and when (or if) they take their breaks.
Your drivers can easily comply with the United States Department of Transportation through the use of customizable fatigue management reporting tools. These tools are made possible by fleet GPS monitoring, known as telematics software. By adjusting your business’s tools to meet the requirements of specific fatigue legislation you can feel at ease knowing that your drivers will be alerted when they need to take their breaks.
What is Driver Fatigue?
Driver fatigue is a state of being very tired, drowsy, or worn out, which makes it hard to concentrate. This causes drivers to have a delayed reaction when split-second decisions may be the difference between life and death. When tiredness makes it hard to make quick decisions on the road, everyone’s safety is threatened.
Fatigue can happen to the best of us. What’s most important is that we identify the reasons and catch the signs before it’s too late.
Driver fatigue can be caused by:
- Physical exhaustion
- Inconsistent sleep patterns
- Insufficient naps or breaks
- Medication that causes drowsiness
- Health problems or disorders
Noticing the signs of driver fatigue can help to save lives. According to the CDC, its effects are much like being under the influence of alcohol. Drivers should pull over and rest immediately if they experience:
- Disorientation
- Lack of focus
- Microsleeps
- Loss of peripheral awareness
- Forgetfulness
- Drifting lanes
- Delayed reactions
Driver Fatigue Legislation
Maximum driving and work hours are set for commercial truck drivers by the US Department of Transportation, but this doesn’t take into account other commercial vehicles. Your drivers may not have any regulations guiding them through safe practices.
But the good news is a fatigue risk management system (FRMS) can help any business fight driver fatigue. Fleetistics telematics software is your greatest ally when forming an FRMS by offering your fleet management real-time data and your drivers easy and accurate reporting.
Fleetistics Telematics Software Solutions for Driver Fatigue
The majority of GPS tracking and telematics hardware is hosted by software that can determine the time and distance of a journey, but it can do so much more.
Fleetistics software can:
- Alert the driver and office when vehicles are driven for an excessive amount of time
- Alert for breaks/rests
- Provide electronic logs/reporting to record hours on the road and break times.
- Identify distracted driving behavior
- Identify impaired driving behavior
- Monitor speed
- Catch hard braking
In addition, we highly recommend that you install dashcams and cab-facing cams in your commercial vehicles. This will allow you to record and save video of an accident for insurance purposes (and in the case of a lawsuit). Accident reconstruction telematics and liability can give you crucial information that could save you thousands if not millions of dollars.
Vehicle cameras can also help your fleet management team to monitor drivers in real-time for visible signs of trouble. From nodding off to yawning excessively, these indications of driver fatigue cannot be caught through technology alone. But a keen eye can make a huge difference.
If you’re ready to start your own fatigue risk management system and want the assistance of technology to make it easier, talk to a Fleetistics representative today. We can answer all of your questions, including if fleet management solutions are right for your business.
You can combat driver fatigue effectively, and Fleetistics can help!
