TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors Associated with Fatigued Driving among Australian Truck Drivers
T2 - A Cross-Sectional Study
AU - Ren, Xinyi
AU - Pritchard, Elizabeth
AU - van Vreden, Caryn
AU - Newnam, Sharon
AU - Iles, Ross
AU - Xia, Ting
N1 - Funding Information:
This study is led by Monash University, supported by NHMRC Partnership Project grant number GNT1169395, and is co-funded by study partners the Transport Workers Union (TWU), Linfox, and the Centre for Work Health and Safety. Driving Health acknowledges the support of Comcare. The authors gratefully acknowledge the expert input from Alex Collie from the Healthy Working Lives Research Group at Monash University, Dan I Lubman of Turning Point, Shantha Rajaratnam of the Monash School of Psychological Sciences, and Bill Neto of the Centre for Work Health and Safety.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/2
Y1 - 2023/2
N2 - Background: Fatigued driving is one of the leading factors contributing to road crashes in the trucking industry. The nature of trucking, prolonged working time, and irregular sleep patterns can negatively impact drivers’ health and wellbeing. However, there is limited research in Australia investigating the impact of demographic, occupational, or lifestyle factors on fatigue among truck drivers. Objective: This cross-sectional study examines the role of demographic, occupational, lifestyle, and other health risk factors associated with fatigue among Australian truck drivers. Method: This study was part of a larger study that used a short online survey with a follow-up telephone survey to capture in-depth information on a wide range of determinants related to truck drivers’ physical and mental health outcomes. Fatigue was measured by three questions, including the frequency of fatigue, fatigue management training, and strategies used to combat fatigue. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the specific impact of demographics, occupational factors, lifestyle factors, and other health risk factors on fatigue. Results: In total, 332 drivers completed both the online and telephone surveys; 97% were male, representing drivers from broad age groups and professional experience. The odds of being in the high-risk fatigue group were nearly three times higher in drivers who worked 40–60 h compared to those who worked < 40 h. Poor sleep increased the odds of high-risk fatigue by seventimes (95% CI: 2.26–21.67, p = 0.001). Drivers who reported experiencing loneliness also had double the odds of being at high risk of fatigued driving. Conclusions: The increased risk of fatigue in truck drivers is associated with prolonged working hours, poor sleep, and social aspects such as loneliness. Further interventions seeking to reduce driver fatigue should consider the impact of work schedules, the availability of quality sleeping spaces, and the level of social connections.
AB - Background: Fatigued driving is one of the leading factors contributing to road crashes in the trucking industry. The nature of trucking, prolonged working time, and irregular sleep patterns can negatively impact drivers’ health and wellbeing. However, there is limited research in Australia investigating the impact of demographic, occupational, or lifestyle factors on fatigue among truck drivers. Objective: This cross-sectional study examines the role of demographic, occupational, lifestyle, and other health risk factors associated with fatigue among Australian truck drivers. Method: This study was part of a larger study that used a short online survey with a follow-up telephone survey to capture in-depth information on a wide range of determinants related to truck drivers’ physical and mental health outcomes. Fatigue was measured by three questions, including the frequency of fatigue, fatigue management training, and strategies used to combat fatigue. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the specific impact of demographics, occupational factors, lifestyle factors, and other health risk factors on fatigue. Results: In total, 332 drivers completed both the online and telephone surveys; 97% were male, representing drivers from broad age groups and professional experience. The odds of being in the high-risk fatigue group were nearly three times higher in drivers who worked 40–60 h compared to those who worked < 40 h. Poor sleep increased the odds of high-risk fatigue by seventimes (95% CI: 2.26–21.67, p = 0.001). Drivers who reported experiencing loneliness also had double the odds of being at high risk of fatigued driving. Conclusions: The increased risk of fatigue in truck drivers is associated with prolonged working hours, poor sleep, and social aspects such as loneliness. Further interventions seeking to reduce driver fatigue should consider the impact of work schedules, the availability of quality sleeping spaces, and the level of social connections.
KW - fatigue
KW - fatigue driving
KW - heavy vehicle drivers
KW - occupational risk factors
KW - truck drivers
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85147863504
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph20032732
DO - 10.3390/ijerph20032732
M3 - Article
C2 - 36768095
AN - SCOPUS:85147863504
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 20
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 3
M1 - 2732
ER -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being