The issue of fatigue has once again come under the spotlight after the diary of one driver which was involved in a crash revealed that he was a very fatigued man.
The accident took place in September 2010 and involved a truck being driven by Gary Mitchell and a car driven by Frank Fialka.
The accident scene was described as complete carnage. The car had been hit by the truck with such force that it was squashed into the road, leaving gouge marks in the bitumen.
This is what happened that day according to a post on TheAge.com.au
It was not long before police found materials that suggested Mitchell, the driver of the truck, should not have been at the wheel of a semi-trailer which, when laden with boxes of toys, weighed more than 23 tonnes as it travelled towards Sydney at 100km/h.
It wasn’t speed, drugs or alcohol that made Mitchell a danger on the road. Having squeezed a full working week into a little over three days, it was fatigue.
Police described the accident as “an example of a truck driver pushing too hard”. A police inspector said that many don’t understand their obligation under legislation to rest and continue to drive when they shouldn’t.
Sadly fatigue is as big an issue on our roads as speeding, drink driving and drug driving. In this incident the truck driver’s own records proved that he was fatigued and resulted in him being found guilty of culpable driving.
Not only do truckies need to fill in their work diaries but they need to ensure they get adequate rest. Police reconstructed Mitchell’s movements in the days leading up to the crash, using information logged in the diaries, along with the driver’s phone records, GPS tracking of the truck, e-tag tolls, receipts for fuel and other purchases, CCTV footage at various depots and service stations, and traffic cameras that snapped the semi-trailer across the state, altogether proving that the driver was driving while fatigued.
One of the reasons most commonly blamed as the source of heavy vehicle road safety problems is the economic pressure truckies are under to do more with in less time. This usually involves driving while fatigued and practicing generally unsafe driving methods.
Drivers need to remember that while companies may be placing pressure on them to deliver in a specific time frame which may at times be unrealistic, they are the ones behind the wheel and so they are the ones most at risk.
Although the Chain of Responsibility Legislation is meant to ensure that everyone in the supply chain is held responsible for their actions, including operators, consignors and consignees, the fact that the driver is directly at risk of harm means they have the most to lose. Drivers should be aware of this case and the consequences which this driver suffered because of his failure to rest. Drivers need to make sure they keep an up to date diary, get enough rest and avoid driving while fatigued.
