Fleet transport insurance specialist, McCarron Coates, is warning fleets, of all types, to not play the monotony game or over-rely on British driver hour regulations for their fatigue compliance.
The Leeds-based insurance broker reminds companies who are employing people for work that every employer has a strict duty of care for their employees, and this extends to drivers on the road. Sometimes, fatigue needs to be tackled pro-actively, rather than just presuming a statutory break will resolve the issue.
The broker says the majority of employers need to pay better attention to their drivers’ lifestyles and health, to ensure that driver fatigue does not result in accidents and potential casualties. Between 10 and 20% of all crashes are estimated to be caused by driver fatigue.[1]
This is down to various factors, including rising levels of stress in society and also a sharp rise in sleep apnea.
Whilst stress and mental health issues are well documented, many employers will not realise that sleep apnea (apnoea) rates almost doubled in the 20 years to 2019.[2] The condition, which impacts sleep and can then lead to daytime drowsiness, affects around 2.5 million people in the UK, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).[3]
A little over a year ago, NICE also recommended that a range of devices be rolled out for testing for the condition, believing that a further 5% of UK adults are undiagnosed.
The condition is linked to obesity, rates of which tripled in the 20 years to 2019.[4] In the fleet transport sector, unhealthy diets and lifestyles, which lead to obesity, could be compounding the issues relating to sleep apnea even more.
For this reason, McCarron Coates is urging employers to take a much closer look at both their drivers and their routes. It says employees should be encouraged to flag up any lack of sleep that they have incurred, whether that is due to stress, a particular situation or having a new baby. The decision should then be to take the driver off the road for the day, or to ensure their driving routes are short and not monotonous, if the situation is not too serious. If the decision is made to send the driver out, plenty of stops should be built into their schedule.
Monotony – typically when driving on motorways and dual-carriageways with little to do at the wheel – can lead to a dangerous situation with regard to driver fatigue. It can induce micro-naps of two to 30 seconds, in which a driver can travel 200 metres without realising, if travelling at 70mph.[5] Whilst napping, they have no control over their steering or braking. This is why most incidents involving fatigue see a driver leaving the road or ploughing into the back of another vehicle.
As there is no braking involved in these accidents, the impacts can be severe and even worse than those that arise from drink-drive incidents. Around 50% result in death or serious injury.[6] Alarmingly, one-in-eight drivers admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel.[7]
Employers should particularly monitor male employees in their 30s, and those who have variable shift patterns – groups most likely to have an issue with driver fatigue. However, spotting the signs of sleep apnea is also important. This involves a greater dialogue about sleep patterns but also observation of the individual when in the office or yard. Do they seem distracted and unable to concentrate? Are they ever found falling asleep at a desk? Do they have mood swings? These could all be signs of a lack of sleep or sleep apnea.
To not monitor these areas is dangerous and an employer could find themselves prosecuted, if they do not take reasonable steps to stay on top of employee sleep patterns and overall health. They should be aware what medications a driver is taking and should also be particularly alert if the driver has recently welcomed a baby. Changing the driver’s working hours to avoid the key ‘danger’ hours for driver fatigue, of 4am to 6am and 2pm to 4pm, when the body clock can increase feelings of tiredness, could be key.
If someone has an issue, there may have been ‘near misses’. These could appear in the form of less serious accidents that have led to insurance claims. By working with a dedicated in-house claims team, like that at McCarron Coates, trends might be spotted.
Here, having access to vehicle diagnostics can also be a major advantage. Indications that a driver is suffering regular fatigue could well be flagged up through late braking and speeding. Viewing their past driving record, in these areas, might demonstrate a new issue that has emerged, not evidenced in the past. If that is the case, sleep disturbance could be at play.
There are other measures that an employer could take. Director, Ian McCarron explains, “We have seen major advantages when customers have installed forward-facing cameras in the cab. These can detect signs of distraction and potential fatigue, by monitoring lack of concentration and non-observation of the road. They could also highlight physical signs that a driver is about to fall asleep at the wheel and issue audible alerts. With alerts also available for actions such as late braking and moving across lines – potential signs of a micro-sleep – such cameras can be great allies when it comes to keeping claims down and keeping drivers, and the public, safe from fatigue.”
The type of vehicle being driven could be another factor to consider. Fellow director, Paul Coates, adds, “Monotony is increased when a driver has little to do at the wheel and feels comfortable, be that through cruise control, heat, or a quiet engine. Those with electric fleets should be particularly alert to the dangers that drivers can face, as drivers can drift off more easily with a quiet engine and many automated systems.”
When it comes to monotony and driver fatigue it is not worth taking chances. Both the employer and driver could go to jail or severely damage their reputation in the community. Head to a free parking zone whenever the signs of fatigue become apparent and the yawns, flickering eyelids and temptation to wind down the window strike.
[1] https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/driver-fatigue
[2] https://www.uclhospitals.brc.nihr.ac.uk/news/large-increase-uk-rates-sleep-apnoea-and-obesity
[3] https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/home-testing-devices-could-increase-the-number-of-people-diagnosed-with-sleep-apnoea
[4] https://www.uclhospitals.brc.nihr.ac.uk/news/large-increase-uk-rates-sleep-apnoea-and-obesity
[5] https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/driver-fatigue
[6] https://roadsafety.scot/road-user-advice/driver-fatigue/fatigue-campaign/
[7] https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/driver-fatigue
