Waking Up to the Challenge of Fatigue Management in Transportation

Abstract

While a vehicle operator falling asleep at the controls is the most obvious symptom of fatigue in transportation operations, less extreme and apparent fatigue levels are reliably associated with performance impairments in, for example, attention, information processing, memory, and situation awareness. Compared to in other industries, fatigue in transportation is made more likely by challenges to the body's circadian rhythm caused by shiftwork and travel across time zones. While experiencing fatigue is a normal physiological and behavioral state, for drivers, pilots, mariners, and other vehicle operators, experiencing fatigue while operating a vehicle can have catastrophic consequences. Fatigue can also contribute to heightened, though less-direct, risk for those who support transport operations, such as shift schedulers, supervisors, and managers. This discussion panel will explore high risk and important human factors challenges to fatigue management facing transportation workers and their industries today, and some practical, and proven, ways to manage them.