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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