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DRIVING THE INDUSTRY SINCE 1991


“Have you ever told a driver that if there is any way possible for them to come to work, you really need them? You may have contributed to having a fatigued driver behind the wheel.”


THE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR One of the important contributions of a transpor-


tation director, supervisor or manager can make to combat the problem of fatigue is to set the tone — ac- tually, the philosophy — for the workplace culture. Te operation leader establishes priorities and tolerances, and grants allowable deviances from safety policies. When low on substitute drivers, do you nonchalant-


ly spread word that anyone calling in sick tomorrow better be dead? What about calling a safety meeting to expound on how the cost of absenteeism threatens their future? Have you ever told a driver that if there is any way possible for them to come to work, you really need them? If you have ever advocated for a “miracle cure,” you may have contributed to having a fatigued driver behind the wheel. Te more popular you are makes this risk worse because your drivers would do anything for you — including coming to work tired.


Te most effective weapon against fatigue is aware- ness — theirs and yours. Help drivers to be aware of the importance of adequate rest. Tere are many more factors that work against an alert driver; however, these four — lifestyle, the economy, medication side effects and the tone set by the transportation director — happen often enough to encourage all of us to increase our awareness and make better decisions about fitness for duty. Certainly, there is no substitute for rest; but perhaps being aware of these contributors will help alleviate unnecessary pressure to drive drowsy. 


Kathleen Furneaux is the executive director of the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute in East Syracuse, N.Y., a not-for-profit organization that supports the work of school transportation professionals in the U.S. and Canada.


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