ACCIDENTS AND DRIVER’S FATIGUE

Dakshin Kannada is yet to recover from the shock of the ghastly incident leading to the loss of innocent lives in an accident of the Iravata Bus near Mangalore, with a stationery lorry.
While looking at the Road Safety Angle, there could be several unanswered questions including the physical condition of the Driver of the Volvo bus as well as the speed of the vehicle at that moment of time.
In this case, the driver also had a miraculous escape and is available to bring out the true story!
Majority of the Accidents occur due to drivers’ error than the mechanical failures. Even in the case of mechanical failures, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is in proper driving condition/road worthy before taking on to the wheels. Of course, the seasonal aspects like rainy terrain or muddy roads only afford the benefit of doubt to the driver. If the driver is only an employee of a Transport Corporation, it is also the consequential responsibility of the owners of the vehicle to provide the vehicle intact, before it is taken on the roads, in addition to the Driver’s Responsibility to check the Road-worthiness of the vehicle.
Driver’s Fatigue occurs due to several reasons including the hours of work and the health and emotional conditions of the driver on the assignment.
Distraction or lack of concentration on the driving leads to a momentary failure of the driver depending on the situational sequence. Years of driving experience does not merit consideration in any accident analysis as every trip is considered as a new challenge and risk management.
There are contributory factors by the victim/s(other than driver, if any), road conditions and sometimes (traffic) regulation mistakes also. All these aspects are expected to find a place in the Accident Investigation report of the Traffic Police. Unfortunately, the higher is the horsepower, more is the blame is on that vehicle and that driver, as the victim belongs to a lower specie of the vehicles or the other category-the pedestrian or passenger. However, loss of any life on road is to be prevented as a Social Mission.
Long distance drivers: Though driving is a habit, the reflex system fails due to the fatigue or stress on the part of the driver. The stress could be due to the extended hours of driving or due to the mental tension/stress on the driver that proves to be risky. Drivers of Heavy Transport vehicles beyond certain capacity of tonnage and also the long distance vehicles carrying the passengers should be put under a minimal test for the health fitness on a trip-to-trip basis. This ensures elimination of drivers’ fatigue during long journey trips. Providing additional drivers to share the distance of driving is another Safety Strategy.
City Drivers : Stress is common in driving big vehicles-be it long distance or city rides. Hence, drivers of city buses, irrespective of state run or private, should undergo a basic health check periodically, by a physician at the City Terminals. This will ensure that the fatigued drivers are quarantined immediately. A Common Room for Rest of the drivers with facility for destressing (entertainments including Television or music) should find a place in all the City Bus Terminals. It should also be the state-of art technology.
Drunken Drivers: Though it is easily said than done, drunken driving interception is a difficult task especially when one is at the wit’s end. The process is a cumbersome one with medical check-up and content of alchohol in the blood. Compounding this offence on the road side is also not possible as it needs blood sample and evidence. However, in my Road Safety Drives experience, I have observed that during the process of booking the drunken drivers they greatly get discouraged from drunken driving. On one side, the precious resting time is lost and on the other side, the humiliation during the process of waiting, medical test and appearing in the court for paying the fine act as a deterrant. The Police Strategy for booking drunken driving acts as critical element, due to its flashy type of operation, the secrecy and the force(visibility) used on a single event! It is also desirable that the Traffic Police conducts drive against drivers under the influence of drug addiction.
Goods Carriers: It is essential that Truck Terminals come operational with the required medical attention and also the basic check up infrastructure to clear the Truck Drivers for long distance voyages. Rest Rooms with destressing facilities should be of a quality and style. In the current case of accident, the truck was parked on road side leading to the ghastly accident.
Private Vehicles and Drivers: It is the responsibility of the driver himself/herself not to take the vehicle out when the driver is fatigued. Similarly, the owner of the vehicle should ensure that the driver of the personal vehicle is physically fit for the day. Long distance drivers should take an active precaution for a Safe Travel Plan.
Though accidents on the Highways are on the increase, Details of accident analysis are not made public perhaps due to several causative factors like public reactions, industrial relations etc.,
At least, in the case of the accidents where loss of lives are registered, a thorough accident analysis, alongwith the solutions discussed at the highest levels of Authority!*