MiX Telematics, in conjunction with Manspec Selection & Development Services, is developing a smart device App that tests the level of fatigue of truck drivers before they get behind the wheel.

The test takes 40 to 50 seconds, says MiX Telematics sales director Africa Steven Sutherland.

The App shows a person standing upright, with a ball in one hand. The figure’s orientation is then varied, upside down, back to front, and so on, and the driver is to note swiftly which hand is holding the ball.

The driver is allowed three strikes.

Drivers are tested against a log of their own profiles and speeds, and that of their peers, notes Sutherland.

“From this simple test, we determine the levels of fatigue of a driver.

“If the driver fails the test, the supervisor is alerted, and it is then up to the company to decide how to utilise the driver. Perhaps, he can still drive for two hours, or on a straight section of a particular route, or he needs to rest before getting into the truck.”

There are three types of fatigue, notes Sutherland: physical fatigue after a long day, medical fatigue caused by medicines, for example, and fatigue owing to a poor diet.

Fatigue plays a significant role in truck accidents in South Africa, he adds. It is generally assumed that nine out of ten accidents can be linked to fatigue.

The standard is to drive three to four hours and to then take a 15- to 30-minute break. Cumulatively, drivers perform best when only driving six to seven hours in a day.

US best practice demands a limited number of hours for truck drivers on a road before a rest period must be taken, while also considering the accumulated driving done in seven days, and the minimum rest demanded after those seven days.

It is also possible for law enforcement officials to verify these hours through on-board computers.

However, says Sutherland, the same does not apply to truck operations in South Africa.

Often truck drivers would arrive for work on Monday, having driven a long-distance taxi over the weekend, with the employer unaware of this situation.

Truck drivers are also often incentivised by the number of kilometres covered.

For this reason MiX Telematics is also developing a reactive fatigue test that is able to follow a driver’s progress during a journey.

Cameras fitted to the truck can, for example, pick up when a driver starts to tailgate other vehicles, or when the vehicle starts to move erratically over lane markings – all symptoms of fatigue.

The on-board telematics system will send messages to the supervisor, who can phone the driver, leading him to a safe place to rest.

Other versions of this reactive system may include an App that demands that the driver sends photos of his truck to the control room every three to four hours. This would ensure the driver stops to inspect the vehicle.

One other factor that may greatly assist in cutting driver fatigue is to drive outside peak-hour traffic.

However, says Sutherland, it seems most local transport and logistics companies are unwilling to consider running their operations at night.