01626309

Component

Driving while fatigued, which, among others, may cause falling asleep at the wheel, is a highly contributing factor in traffic accidents, quantified by an average proportion of 20% of total accidents that are fatigue related. Professional drivers are commonly considered to be more vulnerable to fatigue and sleepiness, mainly because they are involved in prolonged driving periods and distance combined with high time pressure trips and irregular driving shifts. The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of a training program on fatigue addressed to professional drivers through a naturalistic study on driving behavior based on data collected by trip recorders (Geographical Positioning System –GPS devices). Analysis of these data was supplemented with the collection of self-reported data obtained through a questionnaire survey in order to investigate potential threats, deficiencies and bias of the approaches. Trip data were grouped in terms of the time period of measurements, the exposure to the training program and the compliance with safety standards. Self-reported data recorded attitudes, norms, intentions and stated behavior. For both sets of data, a before-after analysis was implemented, in order to indicate any changes in driving behavior attributed to the realization of the training program. Results showed that there is no proof that the training program had a significant impact on the compliance of the professional drivers towards safety standards, addressed by the number of illegal trips and the number of illegal trips in stops’ number or duration. Still, when testing potential differences before and after the program in terms of speed and average stop time, it was observed that the training program implementation affected drivers towards the safe direction thus to reduce their speed and to increase the time that they stop and rest. When focusing on the self-reported data, results showed that the training program affected positively the direction of change in the self-reported behavior of the trainees, since an increase after the program implementation was indicated in the adoption of the proposed by the program effective countermeasure thus to stop and rest when tired.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANB30 Standing Committee on Operator Education and Regulation.

01618707

17-04831

English

15p

2017

Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References (51) ; Tables

Attitudes; Automatic data collection systems; Behavior; Commercial drivers; Driver education; Fatigue (Physiological condition)

Highways; Safety and Human Factors

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2017 Paper #17-04831

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 8 2016 11:51AM