Talk to Awake if your drivers are sleepy

Motor Transport
16/01/2003

Talk to AWAKE if your Drivers are Sleepy

Leading experts on sleep and fatigue have been asked to speak to senior managers and directors at several truck fleets, as a result of giving a presentation at a recent TGWU transport conference in Bournemouth. Around 150 delegates attended.

The London-based consultancy AWAKE, says union delegates showed keen interest in their presentation, at which they said that more truck drivers are killed at work than any other type of employee.

AWAKE says that a major contributor is fatigue, which kills an estimated one truck driver a week - a figure also thought to be higher than for any other job. "Tiredness, and lack of sleep is a bigger danger on the road than alcohol", they said. "But the perceived danger of falling asleep at the wheel is neither fully appreciated nor acted upon, by many companies."

"Tackling occupational fatigue must be built into the culture of the logistics companies and include practical solutions to the problem, including education and training. With corporate responsibility very much on the agenda, companies must respond and act responsibly," AWAKE reports.

AWAKE, on www.awakeltd.info, undertakes risk assessment for fleets, to determine the extent to which fatigue plays a part in a company's accidents, and provides training to commercial drivers.

It is linked to the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre, which has built a worldwide reputation over the past 20 years.

AWAKE on +44 (0)20 7462 7660.