The Application of a Proxy Measure to Estimate the Incidence and Characteristics of Driver Fatigue in Motor Vehicle Crashes

This research sought to understand the incidence and characteristics of fatigue as a contributing factor in reported road crashes in Western Australia, 2009-2013, through a comparative analysis of police reported fatigue-related crashes and the application of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (2002) operational definition for fatigue. There were clear differences in the number and type of crashes identified to be fatigue-related, though when combined up to 9% of Killed and Serious Injury crashes and 17.5% of fatal crashes during the period may be fatigue-related. It is recommended that a more contemporary post-crash measure of fatigue be developed and applied.