Working conditions and fatigue in professional truck drivers at Israeli ports.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Trucks represent 6% of all vehicles, but truck crashes account for 20% of road deaths in Israel, even though travel distances are usually short (<200 km) and overnight travel is uncommon.

Objective

To determine occupational and individual predictors of fatigue, falling asleep at the wheel, and involvement in crashes with injuries and deaths in truck drivers.

Setting and methods

We carried out field interviews of 160 port truck drivers regarding driver characteristics, workplace and driving conditions, employer-employee relations, medical conditions, sleep quality and fatigue, falling asleep at the wheel, and involvement in road crashes.

Results

One day before interview, 38.1% of the drivers had worked more than the 12 hour legal limit. More than 30%

SUBMITTER: Sabbagh-Ehrlich S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1730197 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature