The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in recognition of National Sleep Awareness Week, has reiterated its commitment to eliminating human fatigue in the transportation industry. The NTSB has had a long concern about the effect of human fatigue in the transportation industry and its impairment effect on safety.
NTSB Board member, Deborah Hersman, said “Fatigue can impair a person behind the wheel or at the helm much like alcohol or other drugs. We must ensure that as much as possible is being done to protect our transportation system from the insidious effect of human fatigue.”
The quickest fix would be to reduce the work hour limits of those in the transportation industry. For example, safety would mandate reducing the eleven hours that a truck driver can drive in a day that allows him to work up to a 14 hour work day. Moreover, implementing technology in the use of onboard recorders, and installing new technology such as adaptive cruise control and collision warning systems would lead in the fight in reducing human fatigue accidents.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
