The list is long when it comes to hazards that can cause safety risks for the commercial trucking industry, and driver fatigue is a condition that tops that list. Fatigue can affect all drivers, however commercial truck drivers are especially at risk due to their long and often irregular work hours.
Fatigue should not be confused with sleepiness, as it is a very different feeling. Fatigue occurs when a person is suffering symptoms such as headaches, heavy eyelids, frequent yawning, lane drifting, erratic speed, misjudging traffic situations, irritability and/or daydreaming. In contrast, sleepiness predominantly occurs twice a day, once after lunch and once typically around bedtime. It is a pleasant feeling, and is linked closely to an individual’s circadian rhythm. Despite common misperceptions, sleepiness and fatigue are not interdependent; a driver can be fatigued but not sleepy and sleepy but not fatigued.