Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service

1. Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Module 1: Overview

2. © Microsoft® • What if there were no rules limiting how many hours a driver could drive a commercial vehicle? • What would happen to the commercial vehicle driver? • What affect would it have on highway safety? Module 1 -

3. What will I learn in this module? • History and reasons for Hours of Service legislation • How the human body clock affects fatigue • How to identify driver fatigue • How to avoid sleep debt © Microsoft® Module 1 -

4. Why do we need Hours of Service legislation? • Rules that commercial vehicle drivers follow in Canada • Maximum allowable driving times and minimum required off-duty times • Until recently, rules were not based on sleep and fatigue research Module 1 -

5. Fatigue and Alertness Study • 1989 - 1996 • $6 million study • Driving long hours, day after day, results in serious fatigue caused by “sleep debt” • Fatigue leads to commercial vehicle collisions Module 1 -

6. What is fatigue? • Need adequate sleep to combat fatigue • Need to change Hours of Service regulations to allow opportunities for additional sleep • 10 years of consultations to make changes to regulations © Microsoft® Module 1 -

7. What is fatigue? • Caused by work, exertion or stress for long periods of time • People contribute to their fatigue by simply being awake • People become tired and drowsy • Increased chance of microsleep © Microsoft® Module 1 -

8. How does the human body clock affect fatigue? • Body clock tells body processes when to have peaks & low points • Example: • Midnight to dawn, clock tells body to lower body temperature, slow heart rate, lower blood pressure • Body makes these changes whether we are asleep or awake! Module 1 -

9. How does the human body clock affect fatigue? • Disrupting the clock can lead to a lack of sleep and increase in fatigue • Low points = increase in fatigue-related accidents © Microsoft® Module 1 -

10. What are the symptoms of fatigue? • Decreased judgment • Decreased decision-making ability • Diminished memory, reaction time, concentration • Worsened mood Module 1 -

11. How can I avoid sleep debt? • Only way to combat fatigue is sleep • Average person needs 6 - 8 hours of sleep per day • People who do not get sufficient daily sleep build a “sleep debt” • As sleep debt increases, people become less alert and drowsier Module 1 -

12. How can I avoid sleep debt? • Take 20 – 30 minute naps • Sleep for a longer period of time • Relax so the you have a deeper sleep © Microsoft® Module 1 -

13. Hours of Service Regulations • January 1, 2007 • Changes give commercial vehicle drivers opportunity to obtain adequate sleep • Changes are consistent with research on fatigue, human body clock and sleep debt © Microsoft® Module 1 -